The Way it Was Meant to Be
by Eilonnwy
Summary: AU based on the premise that Zuko and Iroh go back to the Fire Nation with Azula in the beginning of Season 2 and Zuko gets sent to the Boiling Rock prison. Fic is Zuko centric and very dark and angsty.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Way it Was Meant to Be

**Rating:** M

**Status:** WIP

**Characters:** Zuko, Hakoda

**Pairings:** None planned, except keeping with cannon.

**Genre:** Angst and some drama/action

**Summery:** AU based on the premise that Zuko and Iroh go back to the Fire Nation with Azula in the beginning of Season 2 and Zuko gets sent to the Boiling Rock Prison.

**Warnings:** I love Avatar, but at times the story gets silly. That's what happens when you love a children's story. Personally, I love raw emotion and brutal reality, so there is going to be some adult stuff. These characters are in prison and I plan to portray a prison in more realistic ways. Harsh language and violence will be prevalent in this fic as well as an attempted non-con scene.

**Spoilers:** Eh...the whole show. Despite deviating from Season 2 early on I still incorporate some details from season 2 and 3.

**A/N:** Based on a premise I once posed to Avatar_fans LJ community but never planned to actually explore. Then I had trouble sleeping the other night and an idea took root. So now I'm just going to get it out and see what happens. I haven't written a fanfic in a really long time so I really do encourage any constructive criticism.

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned cool things like Avatar, but I don't. Maybe in the future.

**Chapter 1**

oOoOo

_You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him? - Azula_ _"The Avatar State" Season 2, Episode 1._

_oOoOo  
_

The room was only eight feet by eight feet and the walls were a dull, red brick. His bed was a slab of splintery wood hanging from the walls by rusty chains with only a thin, rotting blanket for comfort. Considering the location of the prison in the crater of a volcano, the blanket was more comforting than warming and even then it was not very comforting. There were no windows, only a metal door with a small rectangular hole closed shut by a sliding door. Nothing he could reach anyway, as his foot was chained to the back wall only allowing him four feet of movement.

Despite the size and emptiness of the cell, it was relatively clean with only a faint smell of urine coming from the waste bucket across from the cot. Only rarely did he see a mouse come from the small crack on the wall. The prisoner wore the usual dark red prison rags, frayed at the ends but otherwise intact. His ankle was motley collection of bruises from the heavy manacle he wore. Other bruises and wounds decorated his porcelain white skin, although nothing stood out as much as the angry red scar across his left eye. These days it was covered up by the mop of hair that had grown freely on his head.

Zuko wasn't sure how long he had been locked away. Months maybe? He was sure it hadn't been a year, but then again the days all blended together especially since he was not allowed outside with the other prisoners. He received two meals a day, most likely in keeping with breakfast and dinner, but since he couldn't see the sun and the meal was always the same tasteless slop it didn't make much of a difference.

With a severe lack of anything to do, he slept a lot. The lack of food and physical activity showed on the thin frame that sat huddled in the corner with his knees hugged against his chest. When he first arrived the lack of food made his stomach churn with a gut wrenching pain, and the guards would abuse him so badly he couldn't sleep from the agony of the beatings. Now he barely felt his hunger anymore and even sometimes neglected to eat what little food he received. He was numb to the physical agony that he constantly felt. His world was so full of hunger and pain that it was almost as if it had always been there. The only thing he really felt anymore with any intensity was an all encompassing despair.

He was left alone most of the time, his special status earning him solitary confinement. However, the guards still took enjoyment in making their encounters as unpleasant as possible. Whenever they would deliver food it was often accompanied by a few kicks to the gut. Every week he was dragged out for a bath which involved nearly drowning in a tub of steaming hot water. They took perverse pleasure in seeing how long he would thrash under the water before passing out and would cackle with laughter when he sputtered for breath. Sometimes Zuko wished they would just drown him and end the misery, but they never did.

Most of the prisoners were allowed recess time, communal dinner time, and were required to do menial prison tasks such as laundry and cleaning. Zuko was kept away from all that. The only interaction he had with other prisoners was when someone would come in to clean his cell. Even then they never spoke. In fact most of them pretended Zuko didn't exist. It didn't surprise him. Most of the prisoners were Fire Nation criminals and Zuko was the prince who had been exiled and was now locked away from the rest of the world. He was such a failure that his father branded him a traitor deserving of incarceration for the rest of his life.

Zuko could never forget that moment, it replayed constantly in his mind. His sister had come to the Earth Kingdom spewing lies about an assassination attempt and family suddenly becoming important. And Zuko bought it. His Uncle tried to warn him, but Zuko would have none of it. His father wanted him back. The one thing he had dreamed about in the three years of his banishment was finally real. It was over, he could return home and cease his frustrating pursuit of the Avatar. The whole trip back on the ship he felt there was something wrong but he refused to give those feelings any credence. He was going home and he wasn't about to let any nagging doubts prevent him from realizing his dream.

And then everything came crashing down around him once they arrived. His father demanded Zuko's presence immediately, which wasn't surprising but his uncle was not permitted to attend. He was escorted to the audience chamber by his father's guard and when they reached the chamber he was suddenly grabbed roughly and thrown to the floor. Before Zuko could even respond to the disrespectful treatment he heard the deep scratchy voice of his father.

"Zuko, you have greatly disappointed me." The flames that created a barrier between him and his father flickered furiously in an overwhelmingly hot wall. "Three years it has been since your banishment. Three years you have had to find the Avatar and not only do you fail miserably, but you fail against a child!" The last word was spoken with a venom he had never heard from his father before.

Zuko's breath caught in his throat, searching for any appropriate response but nothing seemed good enough. He felt like his heart had been ripped out. His father didn't want him back at all. His father hated him; saw him as a failure. He could feel a cold sweat on his skin. He didn't try to stand back up, shamed into cowering before his father. Eventually he found his voice, though it quivered with fear. "Father, I am sorry. I-"

"I'll have none of your pathetic excuses," Firelord Ozai snarled, "I didn't bring you here to hear your sniveling. You are a failure and an embarrassment, your punishment has already been decided." As soon as those words where spoken he felt the guards grab him once more and pulled him up into a standing position. Zuko was too stunned to fight them off as one of them grabbed his topknot and sliced it off with one quick stroke. "You are an embarrassment, unworthy of being a citizen of the Fire Nation, never mind my son and heir to throne! You will never regain your honor and you will not be permitted to continue your treasonous failures! You will spend the rest of your life locked up where you cannot embarrass me anymore! Get out of my sight!"

Without further prompting the guards dragged Zuko out of the chamber, holding his arms tightly behind his back. The shock of the encounter with his father left him immobile. He didn't even pay attention to where the guards where taking him. All he could think was how horribly he had failed. All those times he had almost captured the Avatar and failed; if he had only done it differently. If only he had tried harder, or been more decisive. Too many times he had been weak willed and let the Avatar slip through his grasp. If only he had tried harder he would be coming home with his honor intact. If only Zhao hadn't gotten in the way of Zuko's mission. If only he had never spoken out that day. If only, If only, If only.

All these alternate scenarios raced through his mind as he was brought back to the ship he had sailed in on. His sister was still there out by the dock sitting on the banister, a satisfied smirk on her face. "Did you really think Father would welcome you back with open arms, Zuzu?"

The comment was like a slap in the face. "You lied to me!" he burst out in response.

"As if I haven't done that before," She replied as she hopped off the banister and walked over to him, "Banishment was too good for you, there was always a chance you could come back. Now you'll be where you truly belong, out of the way." Hey smirk widened.

Zuko stared at her with wide eyes. Despite everything Azula had ever done it never occurred to him that she wanted him out of the way so she would be the sole heir. It was suddenly so obvious, how could he never have seen it before? He was so consumed with regaining his honor it never crossed his mind that Azula would make sure he could never get it back. The moment he realized this he also noticed something else, and it shamed him that he had not considered it until now. "Where is Uncle?"

"That doddering old fool? Don't worry, he's visiting with Father now. Father blames Uncle with the failure in the North Pole. But not that it makes a difference, you won't ever see him again." She then looked to the men holding onto Zuko. "Take him away."

"NO!" Zuko screamed and lunged at Azula with all the fury he had in him. It was just too much. He could almost tolerate this happening to him, but his uncle didn't deserve to be punished for his mistakes! All the hurt, all the anger, all the frustration let itself loose. He wrenched himself from the hold of the guards and released a large fireball in her direction. She, however, expected as much and easily deflected the blast as well as countered with her own blue flame. Zuko tried to block her flame but it was too strong for him and he fell backwards, crashing to the ground unceremoniously. The guards wasted no time in descending on him and with a sharp blow to the head the last thing he saw was Azula smirking as his vision faded into darkness.

Zuko woke up in the ship's brig with his hands chained to the wall. His head throbbed painfully from the blow it had received. He recognized the subtle rocking back and forth as that of a Fire Nation vessel at sea. He had no idea where he was being taken but he knew it wasn't good. Here he was, a prince of the Fire Nation and he was chained to the wall in a cell like a common criminal. It was that moment when he realized he had truly lost everything that the tears finally came. He sat there alone in his cell weeping till he felt his heart would burst. And then just when he thought he thought he might drown in his own tears they finally ceased. All that remained in his heart was hole where he had once had hope. Despair crept in slowly but surely.

When he arrived at the Boiling Rock prison he wasn't even introduced to the prison population and instead was thrown into the cell he currently occupied. He was forced to adorn the prison garments before the warden came to visit him in his cell flanked by two particularly brutish prison guards.

"I have to admit, I never thought I'd have a prince in my prison," the warden said teasingly, "but don't think that means you get off easy. In fact we have special instructions from your father to keep you locked in this cell at all times."

Zuko had nothing to say to that and simply stared at the floor, although he visibly flinched at the mention of his father. This caused the warden to smirk.

"You're my special prisoner, Prince Zuko, and you best behave. You step out of line and you'll pay the price, I promise you that."

That sparked am indignant jolt of outrage and his fists clenched angrily. His father punishing him was one thing, but accepting authority of this low life was just too much! "Fuck you!" Zuko spat without thinking. This earned him a hard slap across his cheek that jerked his face to the side. Stunned, Zuko simply kept his head down and silently cursed himself for himself for being so foolish. He was a prisoner, he didn't deserve respect anymore. His father made sure of that.

"I guess I'll have to have my men teach you some respect," The warden whispered into Zuko's ear. The warden then abruptly turned and walked out. "Have fun, boys." The door slid shut leaving Zuko alone with the two brutes.

The beating he received that night was the worst of his life. They rained blows on him and kicked him till he was bloody and bruised. This was only the first of many beatings to follow. Zuko fought back at first but it was only a matter of time before the pain was too much. He eventually stopped fighting back. But even though Zuko was behaving they continued to antagonize him whenever they had the chance. Not only did the guards beat him but they tortured him in any way they could. They would make him beg for his food only to find they had pissed in it when they finally gave it to him. They would make him beg for a chamber pot only to dump the contents on him afterward. They would then give him a bath in water that was too hot or too cold and hold his head under the water till Zuko's lungs almost burst. They had even once left him in the cooler for three days so that Zuko had developed hypothermia.

Zuko could barely remember the last time he felt anything besides pain and despair. He would have killed himself if he had the means, but they kept him closely guarded. All those years in exile were nothing compared to the suffering he experienced in those few months in captivity. And for all he knew he would live for years in this hell, a forgotten prince cast aside failing the impossibly high standards of his selfish, power hungry, and abusive father. He couldn't possibly sink any lower.

The times that he was not sleeping or being maltreated where spent in a guilty haze. The time aboard his ship searching for the avatar almost seemed like a dream in comparison to the living nightmare he now endured. His thoughts always returned to his uncle. He missed his uncle with a terrible force that when focused on to deeply would leaving him gasping desperately for breath. How many times had Zuko ignored his uncle? How many times had he shrugged off his advice and acted foolishly? And now his disrespect had brought about the worst possible outcome. Zuko missed his uncle fiercely, but at the same time he was afraid of facing him. He almost took comfort in the fact that his uncle could not see him like this. Battered and useless, a true disgrace to the Fire Nation. He didn't even want to face the other prisoners, and thanks to the solitary confinement, he didn't have to.

It was in this hopeless state that Azula found her brother when she finally came to visit months later. Zuko thought it was time for another beating when he heard the metal door slide open. Instead he heard his sister "tsk" in disapproval. "Zuzu, how far you have fallen."

Zuko looked up at his sister, who was beaming in brand new battle armor while he was huddled miserably in the corner of his tiny cell. She looked as impeccable as always, and sure enough that taunting smirk was ever present on her face. "I hope the guards are treating you well, dear brother. I'd hate for your stay to be unpleasant."

Zuko frowned in disbelief. Was she really here? After all these months of confinement he had to wonder if he was seeing one of the various faces that haunted his dreams nearly every night, yet he found himself responding in spite of himself, "you know exactly how they're treating me, Azula." His voice came out as a weak croak. He hadn't realized that it had been a long time since he actually talked to someone. His voice was rough for want of use.

"True," she said nonchalantly, "I really came here to give you some news I thought you might appreciate." When Zuko said nothing she continued, "The Fire Nation has accomplished a great victory. The city of Ba Sing Se has finally fallen and is now under Fire Nation rule, all thanks to your dear sister. Father is pleased, of course. I achieved what our foolish uncle could not without an army."

"You're lying," Zuko rasped, as he tried to ignore the pang he felt in his heart from her reference to his uncle. In truth he believed her. It would be just like her to do exactly this and then come here to gloat about her victory. He shouldn't be so surprised.

"This time," Azula said, smirking with an air of amusement, "I'm actually not. Ba Sing Se has fallen and today there will be a celebration in my honor. I almost wish you could be there to see it." Azula walked over to the cot and sat down. She looked at Zuko curled up next to the cot in the corner and wrinkled her nose. "Of course that's not the best part. You want to know what the best part is?"

Zuko glared at his sister. As much as he hate playing her games, he knew there had to be a bigger reason for why she had visited him all these months after she had watched him get dragged off to this prison. "What?"

"The Avatar is dead. I killed him."

Zuko eyes widened. Impossible! There was no way this could be true! He had searched for the Avatar for years and now his sister had achieved what he could not. He wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, however instead he only stared at the floor, utterly speechless. So this was why she had come-to make sure that he knew that not only was he a complete failure, but that where he failed she succeeded. Just like always. _My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born._ He closed his eyes, letting a single tear fall down his cheek.

Satisfied with the reaction, Azula rose from the cot and leaned over Zuko's huddled form, whispering softly. "Everything is just as it should be. I'm the one who deserves to be firelord when father dies, everyone knows it." She kissed him gently on the forehead. "This is the way it was meant be." Azula stood back up and walked out of the cell leaving Zuko alone with nothing but his never-ending misery.

oOoOo

A/N – Based on some suggestions, specifically that Iroh wasn't mentioned enough I've gone back and made some edits and adjustments. This chapter itself is specifically designed to set up the situation that Zuko is in, so if it feels lacking in detail that may be why. Suggestions are welcome, but I thought I'd note Chapter 2 will take place directly after the eclipse and go forward from there at a steady pace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

oOoOo

"_The son of the Fire Lord I don't know him, but I knew of him." - Hakoda, "The Boiling Rock, Part 2", Season 3, Episode 15._

oOoOo

Of all the things that Hakoda could find unbearable about a Fire Nation prison, he found his biggest discomfort was the fact that it was so _hot._ Obviously, having the prison located in the crater of a volcano would cause such a phenomenon, but Hakoda was not just any prisoner. He was a war prisoner from the Southern Water Tribe and it was as if ice was a part of his blood. It had taken some getting used to the warmer weather up north once he left his home to fight in the war, but he found himself completely unable to tolerate the heat generated by the steaming lake here in the Fire Nation prison. He was constantly sweating, which made his prison garb stick to his clothes in an uncomfortable way. He felt like he always had a coating of sweaty grime on his skin and his hair often was wet at the back of his neck. He had trouble sleeping at night from the oppressive heat. Most of the other prisoners didn't seem to be bothered so much by the heat, probably because they were mostly Fire Nation criminals rather than a prisoner of war like himself.

The oppressive heat, unfortunately, was not the only harsh thing about the prison. Hakoda learned the hard way that these prisoners didn't care what they did or who they hurt. Brawls happened almost every day and then when you weren't dealing with unruly prisoners, there were the guards themselves who took advantage of every opening to make life miserable. The warden himself was a piece of work who demanded respect and fear. Hakoda couldn't help but fight back when he first saw him, however tripping the warden proved to be a nearly fatal mistake. The guards beat him savagely and he was left without food or water for two days in solitary confinement.

He didn't do that again.

After that mishap he was allowed to interact with the general population of the prison. Mealtimes were spent in the general assembly hall with two half hour long recess periods in between. Other than that, Hakoda spent time the rest of his time in his cell. On the fifth day during lunch time, Hakoda was sitting in a corner poking at some very flavorless slop when one of the prisoners came over to him and down sat next to him. This new development startled him, but he continued to poke at his lunch not wanting start a fight.

"I hear you tripped the warden," the man said when he settled onto the bench next to him.

Hakoda looked up at the brutishly large man, not exactly sure what to make of the comment. "It was an accident."

This caused the man to laugh and slapped Hakoda on the back in amusement. "Sure, sure! Well, anyone who _accidentally_ trips the warden is good with me. You got a name?"

The suddenly genial attitude was surprising, but making some friends in this place might actually be a good thing. "I'm Hakoda. And you are?"

"Call me Chit Sang," the man said as he stuffed a large spoonful of the slop into his mouth. "Hakoda. That's not a Fire Nation name. I take it the rumor is true, you're a war prisoner."

"I am," Hakoda replied hesitantly.

"Well, here we're all prisoners, so I guess it doesn't matter." Chit Sang then swallowed a large gulp of his water. "Here it's more about who you get along with, get what I'm saying?"

Hakoda's eyes furrowed at that. "I'm not looking to cause trouble."

"Trouble will find you whether you're looking for it or not," Chit Sang stood up, having finished his lunch already. "But the more people you got on your side, the better off you are."

"Are you offering to be on my side?" Hakoda said dubiously.

"I guess I am," Chit Sang said with another laugh. "Stick by yourself and you'll get picked on. But you showed some balls standing up to the warden, I can use someone like that."

"I'll think about it," Hakoda said as he pushed the slop away from him. He wasn't in the mood to eat.

"Sure." Chit Sang noticed Hakoda pushing the food aside. "Hey, if you're not-"

"Go right ahead." Hakoda said and pushed it over towards the other prisoner. Maybe this guy was right. This prison was a pretty tough place, making some alliances might be a good way to get out of this in one piece.

"Thanks, man," He said as he gobbled up the second plate. "Gotta clean the prince's cell today, sometimes makes me late for dinner."

"The prince?" Hakoda asked curiously.

"Yeah," Chit Sang replied with a mouth full of slop. "The Fire Lord's brat is here, but he's in solitary. No one ever sees him unless you have to clean his room."

"I thought the Fire Lord's son was an exile."

"Not anymore." Chit Sang swallowed the last of the slop and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Doesn't matter, he's got another brat to take over anyway. Who knows what goes on with the royal family these days, it makes no difference in here anyway."

"I guess it doesn't," Hakoda replied softly.

Chit Sang pat Hakoda strongly on the back again, "Well thanks for the food, man. I think you and me will get along real well in here." Chit Sang smiled and then made his way over to another group of prisoners.

Hakoda continued to sit there as he sipped the last of his water. He recalled what his son Sokka had said to him on the Fire Nation ship they had commandeered to hide from the navy back before the eclipse.

_It had been a few of days since Aang had been severely injured in the fight at Ba Sing Se. Hakoda was in the captain's room of the Fire Nation Vessel with his son, relishing some free time to talk with his son and find out exactly what Sokka and Katara had been up to since they began traveling the world with the Avatar._

"_Turns out the guy that came to the village was actually Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." Sokka said as he recalled the arrival of Fire Nation ship. _

"_The Fire Lord's Son was in the south pole?" Hakoda said, a note of surprise in his voice. _

"_Yeah, he was on some mission to capture Aang. Really annoying if you ask me. He chased us all the way to the North Pole!" Sokka said dramatically. _

"_So I guess the rumors are true," Hakoda said, rubbing his chin slightly. "Is it also true he has a huge scar on his face?"_

"_Yeah," Sokka replied. "It's pretty ugly if you ask me. But luckily we didn't have to see him after the North Pole, he must have given up or something. But now I'm getting ahead of myself! Let me tell you about the..."_

They had sat there in that cabin for hours telling each other stories of what they had done in all the time they had been separated. Hakoda couldn't help feel a pang of sadness. After years apart they had been reunited only to be quickly torn apart. The invasion plan had failed and now he was here in prison unable to help his children. He silently hoped they were okay as he stood up from the bench.

Lunch time was over. Time to go back to his cell.

oOoOo

Zuko leaned over crouched on his knees, clutching his stomach as he retched violently. He was sick and couldn't keep anything down, though not for lack of trying. Zuko shook violently as he spat out the stomach bile. When he was finished vomiting he crawled back over to his bed and curled up into a ball. He had started feeling ill the day before and complained to the guards about it. They simple yelled at him to stop complaining and received a blow to the head for interrupting their conversation.

He laid there for a long while just shivering on his bed and slipped in and out of various nightmares. It was so hot yet he felt so cold. He had to have a fever. He felt so thirsty too, but the water they gave him just wasn't enough. Zuko felt his body get worse and worse as the hours passed.

Eventually he noticed the sound of someone entering his cell. The noise barely registered in his half-dream state and he tried to just ignore it, hugging his body even tighter.

"Fuck!" he heard the person yell, jolting Zuko out of his sleepy haze. "You puked all over the floor!"

Without any warning he felt the person grab him by the hair and yank him off his cot. Zuko yelped in pain as he was tossed into the corner of his cell. "Good." The person who had come in was another prisoner, here to clean his cell. "You didn't get it all over the bed."

The prisoner proceeded to mop up the vomit, muttering curses under his breath while Zuko remained huddled in the corner rubbing his sore scalp. The sudden mistreatment had left Zuko dizzy and in pain. When it came time for the prisoner to clean the spot he was currently in, he delivered a swift kick to Zuko, which caused another cry of pain. "Get up."

Zuko silently raged. Who was this person to treat him so roughly? He wanted to lash out, to burn the man to a crisp. But not only did he know that would earn him a severe beating and time in the cooler, he didn't even think he could muster up the strength to firebend in his current state. Instead, he struggled to stand, and he hugged the spot where he had been kicked as he hobbled over to the other side. The chain on his ankle clanked softly as Zuko made his way back onto the cot and laid down. He hated this particular prisoner. He didn't feel any qualms about throwing Zuko around when he wanted him to move, which normally was bad enough but in this state it was complete agony.

When the man finally finished cleaning he rapped loudly on the door to signal that he had finished his chore. The door slid open loudly and the prisoner left. _Good riddance,_ Zuko thought as he faded back into a fevered sleep.

oOoOo

It had been two days since Hakoda had met Chit Sang. He found himself eating with Chit Sang's group of buddies and was surprised to find it wasn't all that bad. Sure, they were firebenders and criminals, but it was better than being alone in this depressing place. Besides, roughness aside they weren't that bad. Granted if he met these guys outside of prison he'd want nothing to do with them. Hakoda just guessed that prisons made some strange bedfellows, so to speak.

Hakoda also found that in the two days since talking with Chit Sang he had been deemed worthy enough to be put on cleaning duty. Only the more well behaved prisoners were permitted the extra time out of their cells to clean the prison. Since Chit Sang had managed to get in a brawl with a prison guard and used firebending, they needed another person to take care of Chit Sang's chores and Hakoda was it.

Hakoda didn't actually mind. Cleaning helped kill some of the boredom he experienced alone in those cells. Although he was a little envious to find out that Chit Sang's punishment was to be put in a freezing cooler. Hakoda fleetingly wished he could firebend just so he could go into the cooler. How nice it would be to escape the unbearable heat of this place and escape into the cold air he loved. Yes, the heat was driving him nuts.

Cleaning involved a lot of mopping and scrubbing of the main hallway areas as well as various cells and common areas. It was tough work and the guards demanded a thorough job, but at least it was something to do. When Hakoda's group was finished in one of the hallways a guard pulled him aside and tossed him a fresh bucket and mop. "Come with me," he said gruffly and lead Hakoda down the hall.

Hakoda followed without a word as he was led to a more secluded area of the prison. The guard grabbed his key ring and and looked through the dozen or so keys and pulled out the one he wanted. The door slid open with a loud moan and Hakoda was given a quick shove inside. "Dinner's in twenty. Be quick."

Hakoda heard the door slam shut behind him. He sighed and rubbed his shoulder lightly. The guards could benefit greatly from an attitude adjustment. With another sigh he took stock of the cell he was now in. It didn't seem too dirty, then again it didn't smell that great either. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could see a body laying on the cot across from the door shivering silently. He was wrapped in a ratty blanket, one foot sticking out that appeared to be chained to the nearby wall. Hakoda's eyes furrowed as he realized who must be occupying that cot.

_So this is it_, Hakoda thought, _the prince's cell_. He couldn't tell if the boy across the room from him was awake but it didn't matter. He was here to perform a task and the sooner he finished the sooner he could go to dinner. Hakoda plopped the bucket down and began to mop the floor. After only a minute of mopping did he discover a small puddle of what must have been vomit. Hakoda grimaced slightly and began to clean it up.

As Hakoda was cleaning the floor near the cot he stopped suddenly. He thought he heard a faint whispering sound and after listening closely he could make out the faint words "Azula always lies." over and over again.

Curious, he placed the mop against the wall and turned the shivering boy over. His skin was clammy and cold and he didn't seem to awaken when Hakoda moved him. Hakoda immediately put his hand to the boy's forehead and his eyes widened. He was burning up. No wonder there was vomit on the floor, this boy was incredibly sick! Hakoda looked over the boy and saw that not only was he sick but he was terribly thin as well. From where he could see his skin, there were many bruises and scars, but the most notable scar of all was the one covering his left eye. The mark of the banished prince.

Hakoda couldn't help but wonder just what this boy had done to deserve such horrible treatment. He had heard stories of the banished prince, but nothing of why he had been banished. Now here he was in a Fire Nation prison in the worse possible shape a human could ever possibly be in. Hakoda sighed. Maybe it was a good thing. If this was his life, maybe getting sick and dying would be the best thing for him.

Hakoda stood up as he considered just leaving him there. He was the Fire Nation prince after all and therefore not any of his concern and was probably better off dead considering the position he was in. What kind of life could he possibly lead chained to the wall of a cell without any hope of being free? He was walking over to the bucket getting ready to finish up and knock on the door when he stopped short. What if it was Sokka or Katara? What would he want someone to do if it was them? The guards obviously didn't care if the boy lived or died otherwise he doubt he would have been allowed to get in such a bad state.

"This is probably a bad idea," Hakoda whispered as he went back over to the boy. He grabbed the end of the rotted blanket and ripped off a long strip. He took it over to the water that had been set out for the boy and never touched. He poured some onto the cloth until it was soaked through and went back to place it on the boys forehead. He then took the remaining water and placed it near the cot. Gently he began to shake the boy trying to wake him up. "Hey, hey," Hakoda called as he tried to get the boy out of whatever dream state he was in.

The prince's eyes fluttered open after a few shakes. "Nnn," he mumbled softly. "C-cold."

"I know," Hakoda said as he grabbed for the cup of water. "You need to drink this." Hakoda brought the cup to the prince's lips. Some water dribbled down his chin before he could actually swallow some any. Once he took the first sip he gulped the rest down thirstily. "Does that feel better?" Hakoda asked.

The boy simply nodded very slightly.

"Good," Hakoda said and stood back up, letting the prince settle back down onto the cot. He went over to the door, kicking the waste bucket over on his way and rapped on lightly on the iron with his hand.

The door slid open. "You done?" the guard asked.

"Almost." Hakoda replied, motioning over to the tipped bucket. "The waste bucket got tipped over, it's quite a mess, can I get another bucket of water?"

"Make it quick," The guard said and let Hakoda through to get some fresh water.

When Hakoda returned he brought the new bucket of water over to the boy immediately. He placed it down by the cot and scooped up another cup of water and got him to drink it down like the first one. "I got a bucket of water here for you, do you see it?"

The boy looked down by the floor then back up at Hakoda and nodded once more.

"Good, I'm going to leave this here," Hakoda said as he filled the cup with more water and placed it next to prince. "Drink as much water as you can, understand?"

Hakoda was awarded with another nod and then he heard the boy speak in a barely audible voice. "Thank you."

Hakoda patted the boy lightly on the head. He quickly cleaned up the mess he had made as quickly as possible and gathered up the cleaning supplies. He knocked again on the steel door. "I'm ready."

The steel door screeched open. "Good, it's nearly dinner time." the guard said with an annoyed tone. "Hurry up"

Hakoda left the cell hoping the guard wouldn't remember he was supposed to have two buckets instead of one. Fortune smiled on him as the guard didn't even give him a second glance. Now the only question remained was if the boy would survive the night.

oOoOo

A/N – I love the Boiling Rock episodes, don't get me wrong. And while I realize it's a kid's show, I always thought their portrayal of a criminal prison was just silly. Given that this story is more on the mature side, I tried to be more realistic. I also realize Chit Sang may seem OOC, but it's not like he's a major character and I only need him to do a couple of things, so whatever. I was too lazy to try and pick a name that would fit in the world.

I also plan to use quotes from the show because I think it's fun and I like showing the reader where I get certain ideas from as a lot of where this story is going is taken directly from the show. It's possible a chapter may not have a quote if none is relevant. All quotes are taken from the Avatar Spirit website's transcription section.

Please let me know what you think. I'm always more interested in critiques in my writing style as I'm always trying to improve. I'm a little rusty since I haven't written anything in a long while. And thanks to those who reviewed Ch.1 and added me to their story alerts. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

oOoOo

"_Liar! I heard of you. You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him." Old Man "Zuko Alone", Season 2, Episode 7_

oOoOo

The night was rough for Zuko as he fought through his fever. Uncontrollable chills caused him to shake violently and yet he felt like his body was on fire. He was vaguely aware of the water that was now available to him and when the dryness in his mouth became too unbearable he would clumsily reach over to scoop up a cup of water. He often spilled it all over himself, which actually felt rather nice against his burning skin.

As he lay there in the dark cell he felt himself drift in and out of sleep. He knew where he was and what condition he was in and yet he felt as if he was miles away. He could feel the scratchy wooden bed against his skin but he was also in the luxurious silken sheets of his childhood bed. He felt the iron chain against his leg but he was also free as ran around in the palace gardens. The room was dark and gloomy cell and yet he was in bright sun kissed garden or the richly decorated halls of the palace. Flashes of his past, of the life he had before the Agni Kai, kept invading his fevered dreams. Memories he had fought so long to keep buried in his mind bubbled up to the surface and demanded to be known.

A woman filled his vision with long and black silky hair, bright eyes and kind smile. She radiated love and made him feel safe and secure. She was his mother, strong willed and yet soft hearted. His happiest memories always included his mother's visage.

"_Zuko, that's what mom's are like. If you mess with their babies they'll bite you back."_

"Mother," Zuko whispered in his sleep, as he tossed and turned ever so slightly.

The vision faded and now he was lying on silken sheets in a bed way to big for a ten year old boy. He heard someone enter, was it his mother? No, she had his mother's face but it was not her, it was too young. The eyes burned gold but were as cold as ice and her mouth twisted into a sneer. The words she spoke turned his blood to ice and filled the pit of his stomach with unyielding dread.

"_Dad's going to kill you. Really, he is."_

"No!" Zuko twisted a little more violently.

She was gone, replaced by the kind gentle face of his mother and yet something was horribly wrong. The dread had not left, if anything it was worse. His mother's reassuring tone was urgent and hushed. Confusion filled his mind as he tried to concentrate on those precious words.

"_Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."_

"Don't go!" Zuko cried as a single tear tricked from his undamaged eye.

Panic filled his heart; the comforting presence of his mother had gone away and no matter how hard he searched he could not find her. He ran through the palace searching every hallway, every room. Only he wasn't a ten year old boy anymore, he was sixteen and his face already ruined by the cruelty of his father. He still he did not have the answer his heart secretly yearned for, a question he buried down deep in the painful years proceeding that dreadful night.

"_Where is she?" _

He could see his father, untouched by the tragedy of losing his wife. His countenance was completely unconcerned by the mystery of her disappearance. Then it suddenly became older and wearier as his face contorted into a violent rage.

"_You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."_

Zuko's eyes opened with a start. For a moment he barely knew where he was as he shook with an uncontrollable surge of emotion. Never had a he experience a nightmare so vivid, so heart wrenching as the one that was lingering in his mind, and he had many nightmares since his imprisonment. "Mother," he croaked in despair as his hand went to rub his face and he found it wet with tears.

Slowly Zuko sat himself up and looked around the cell, reminding himself of where he was and the situation he was in. More unwelcome tears found their way down his cheek. He pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face in his knees as he cried. Why did he have to dream about the worst moments of his life? Why did he have to relive those horrible emotions? His mother- that loss had been the most painful he had ever endured. Even amidst the banishment and his father's cruelty, the loss of his mother had seared his heart in ways he could not comprehend. His way of dealing had been to bury the pain deep with in his heart. He had tried so hard to not think about her, had preoccupied himself with trying to please his father. He was consumed by the desire to regain his honor that all thoughts of his mother had receded blissfully into the background.

Until now.

The fever had wrenched forth the most painful emotions he had been denying himself for so long. It was as if the pain was brand new, unbearable and overwhelming. _Where is she? What happened?_ They were questions that tore his heart apart. Questions that he didn't want to answer, because somehow subconsciously he knew...a horrible secret was buried underneath. Zuko silently raged. Why did the fever have to destroy the walls he had so carefully built where his mother was concerned? He missed her. He missed her so much he thought his heart would burst.

Suddenly he felt an intense desire to die, to just have this misery go away. The feeling washed over him as his sobs quieted and he contemplated what it would be like to not have to deal with the reality of the prison and turmoil of his painful emotions. Why couldn't he have just died? Instead he could feel that his fever had greatly receded, the worst of it was over for his body but not for his mind.

Panic swelled in Zuko's gut as he silently railed against his surroundings. Was this horrible nightmare ever going to end? Day in an day out he existed in a haze of boredom, trapped in solitary confinement with nothing to do and nothing to look forward to. He didn't even know what day it was or how long he had been there. His life was marked by beatings and disgusting meals twice daily. The rest of the time he spent in a dreary haze either sleeping fitfully or pretending to be anywhere but where he was at that moment. He was a failure and a disappointment. His father hated him, his mother was gone and to make matters even worse he had let down the one person who had been kind to him-is uncle. He had nothing. All hope was lost. All he could do was float through each day, going through the motions of living and every day it got harder. He began to breathe faster than normal as he looked at has hands; they felt so numb. Why did he feel so numb? It was as if all the blood was leaving his arms, causing a strange numbness to spread.

Zuko reacted the only way he knew how and began scratching at his arms with his nails. _Feel, Damnit!_ He had to feel something, because his heart was about to explode. It didn't matter if it was physical pain it just couldn't be this terrible ache that was making it so hard to breathe. Soon his nail scratches drew blood and that's when he finally stopped. He stared at the damaged he had caused. His skin was puffed up, angry, red, and bleeding. What was a he doing? Was he crazy? How could he do this too himself?

Surprisingly, though, he felt better. His arms stung but somehow the incredibly agony he felt in his heart subsided and the numbness he had felt in his arms spread to his heart and calmed his breathing. Slowly he lay back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling as his tears dried on his cheek. He stayed like that for some time, still as could be until sleep finally claimed him. And this time he had no dreams.

oOoOo

Hakoda was worried, but he guessed in this situation no news was good news. He was concerned for the young prince that he had tried to help the other day and anxiously wanted to make sure he was alright. However, gossip ran wild in this place and had the prince been removed from his cell due to dying in the night he probably would have heard about it.

Hakoda sighed as he sat in his dark cell. Why was he worrying about the Fire Nation prince? He had more important things to worry about, like the escape he was trying to plan. Hakoda was not one for sitting around idly and just accepting his situation. His children needed him and so did his people. He accepted being captured for the sake of allowing his children to escape but now here he was, separated from his men in a Fire Nation prison full of Fire Nation prisoners. He needed to get out and he needed to find his soldiers and get them out of whatever prison they were in. He knew he certainly could not do it in here.

Yet try as he might, any escape plan he could think of required more than just himself. In his time in the prison he had studied the guards, studied the surroundings, and asked Chit Sang and his buddies about the prison. The more he learned the more the task of escaping daunted him. He found out the warden was very proud of the record this prison had of no one ever escaping, and given that it sat on an island in the middle of a boiling lake permitted him to be very confident in it's security.

Hakoda sighed as he continued debating various escape plans in his head. There was just no getting around it, he had to have help. That led to another problem. Who could he trust? Chit Sang had obviously taken a liking to him, but would he be reliable?

Hakoda's thoughts were interrupted when the cell door screeched open signaling it was cleaning duty. Hakoda reached for a small cloth wrapped item lying on his cot and stuffed it in his shirt. A few moments later the guard stood in the doorway. "Let's go."

Without a word Hakoda stood up and followed the guard out of the cell. He was led to the main cafeteria and ordered to help the other prisoners in cleaning the tables and floor. An hour into the cleaning he was then pulled aside and brought to the familiar area where he knew the boy was being held. He had hoped he would be required to clean that cell again to make sure the boy was okay. As he walked into the room the guard gave him a sharp blow to the head which caused Hakoda to stumble forward though he did not fall over. "Next time make sure you take all your stuff out when you leave."

Chagrined, Hakoda simply nodded his understanding. So they noticed the bucket he had left but apparently they hadn't noticed its intention. Once the door was shut he turned around hoping to see how the boy was doing and his heart sank immediately.

He was not there.

Hakoda went over to the cot and gently touched the wooden slab. Did the boy actually die from his fever? Had his attempt to try and help him fail? Those questions were quickly answered when the door slid open again and two guards dragged the boy into the cell, clearly alive. Hakoda moved over to the side and began mopping the floor as the guards threw him over to the cot and reattached the foot manacle. The boy took the rough treatment silently, only grunting slightly in pain when he hit the cot. They didn't even give Hakoda a glance as the left and locked both him and prince in the cell.

Once the door was securely shut Hakoda looked back at the prince who sat hunched on the cot, not even looking up. His hair was wet and his clothes looked fresh. _They must have taken him to be washed_, Hakoda guessed as a continued mopping the floor. One thing Hakoda had noticed immediately about the Warden was he ran a tight ship and that included a clean one as well.

"Are you alright?" Hakoda finally asked.

Zuko looked up, obviously startled that someone was actually speaking to him. His eyes then flashed in recognition as he spoke. "You...you're the one who helped me."

Hakoda nodded slightly, "Yeah, it was me." He continued mopping the floor and then dipped the mop into the bucket. "You looked pretty bad, but obviously you made it through."

Zuko sat there silent for a moment before speaking again. "Why did you try to help me?"

Hakoda was not expecting that question, though he supposed he should have. Why did he try and help? At the time he had though about how it's what he would have wanted someone to do for his children, but maybe it went deeper than that. He was a man of honor and to leave someone suffering; it just wasn't his way. It wasn't the way of his people. So Hakoda shrugged as he responded, "It was the right thing to do."

Zuko frowned at that and dropped his head back down to look at the floor. Hakoda stared at him, unsure of how to proceed. He watched as Zuko pulled his knees up to his chest and stared at the floor silently. Hakoda continued mopping, stealing glances at the boy as he cleaned. Zuko continued to look at the floor, unmoved by Hakoda's presence.

"How long have you been here?" Hakoda finally asked, startling Zuko out of whatever reverie he was in.

"What?" Zuko said as he looked up, obviously confused that Hakoda would bother to continue talking to him.

"A few months, right?" Hakoda answered for him. Zuko remained silent, obviously still confused. "Am I right? You've been in this prison for at least a couple of months."

"Ye-yeah," Zuko finally replied.

Hakoda nodded when he finally got a response. "I can't help but wonder what a Fire Nation prince could do to be locked up in his own nation's prison?"

If looks could kill, then Hakoda would have died right there with the venomous glare suddenly shot his way from the boy. "It's none of your business!" he spat back.

"You're probably right," Hakoda replied, "But I did help save you."

"I didn't ask you to!" Zuko furiously exclaimed. He suddenly looked away, hiding his eyes from Hakoda's view.

"No, you're right. You didn't." Hakoda stopped his cleaning and went over to the prince and knelt down in front of him. From his new vantage point he could see tears in Zuko's good eye. He shivered slightly as he tried to hold in his sobbing. Hakoda looked at the boy, taking in all the details. He was horribly thin, more than could possibly be healthy. An old faded bruise colored the skin on his cheek bone while fresh bruises made themselves known on his arms. Hakoda also saw something else on those arms. Scratches. He could see angry red scratches on the boy's arm that were slightly scabbed over. He wondered at what would cause an injury like that and then realization struck. Nails. They were self inflicted. It was in that moment of studying the prince that Hakoda saw something expressed in those eyes that he knew he had seen before. He had seen it on the battlefield as he had fought the Fire Nation. He had seen it in the eyes of his men when it seemed like all their efforts were for nothing, when the task of defeating the Fire Nation seemed to impossibly great. He had seen it in the eyes of his fallen brothers as they lay charred and bloody, knowing they would never see their family again. It was a look of complete despair. Hakoda felt his heart suddenly twist as he spoke his next words, slowly and carefully. "Would you rather I had left you to die?"

When Hakoda spoke, Zuko opened his eyes in surprise but remained silent. The silence was telling. It was all Hakoda needed to know. "I can't imagine," Hakoda continued, looking straight into the boy's eyes. He didn't really know what he was saying; he just knew it had to be said. Here was a boy obviously neglected and abused to the point of wanting to die. Even though he was from the Fire Nation- Even though he's was the Fire Nation's prince he couldn't possibly let this be. His compassionate nature couldn't let this boy suffer. He couldn't refuse to reach out. "What have they done to you?" Hakoda couldn't help but feel his emotion poor out in that statement. "What have they done?" he repeated. He had to know. What did he do to deserve it? He wanted to understand. He wanted to help.

Zuko sat there on the cot, tears now freely falling from his undamaged eye. Still he was silent, but once more the silence spoke volumes. Sobs wracked his body as he tried to stop himself from crying out loud. Before Hakoda could even stop himself he pulled the boy into an embrace. Zuko didn't fight back; instead he buried his face into Hakoda's shoulder as he sobbed silently. Hakoda then began rubbing the boy's back gently, hoping to convey comfort. He whispered softly, "It will be alright." He felt in those moments that the boy was pouring out his pain, his anger, and frustration. He knew then that he had done the right thing. How long had it been since he was last given a comforting embrace? It was clear from the way Zuko suddenly clung to him that it had been too long and was desperately needed.

They sat like that for only a few minutes; Hakoda simply holding onto the boy as he let out his pain, when suddenly there was a sharp rap on the door. "Are you almost done in there?" Hakoda heard the guard yell.

"Almost, need a couple more minutes," Hakoda replied quickly.

At that statement, Zuko lifted his head from Hakoda's shoulder, hiccupping slightly. It was clear that the boy was regaining his composure as he looked at Hakoda with embarrassment. "I'm sorry...I..."

"It's alright," Hakoda cut him off. "I didn't mind. It's obviously been a long time since you've been shown any kindness."

Zuko said nothing at that, eyes falling to the ground.

"Listen," Hakoda said as he stood up. "Don't give up."

Zuko scoffed bitterly at that, "Easy for you to say."

"I know it's not easy, but you have to have hope. If you give in to despair, you'll never get out." Hakoda picked up the mop again, finishing the last of his cleaning.

"There's no way to get out," Zuko replied, a tone of frustration entering his voice,

Hakoda didn't say anything as he rung the mop out into the bucket. When he was done he reached into his shirt and pulled out a small package wrapped in cloth. "Here." He offered it to the prince.

Zuko blinked in confusion before finally reaching up to take it. "What...?" He opened it to reveal a small roll of bread. It seemed slightly stale, but otherwise good to eat. He looked back up at Hakoda, obviously nonplussed.

"Saved it for you," Hakoda replied nonchalantly. "You need it more than I do."

Zuko obviously didn't know what to say as he stared back down on the bread as if it was some type of foreign object. Although it seemed he eventually realized what he should say and looked up suddenly. "Th-thank you."

Hakoda smiled warmly. "You're welcome. You need to keep up your strength." Hakoda then leaned back down to whisper into Zuko's ear. "We're getting out of here."

Before Zuko could utter a response, Hakoda had gone over to the door and knocked loudly, preventing Zuko from giving any sort of response. "I'm done," Hakoda called to the guard.

"About time," the guard grumbled as the door slid open with a horrendous screech. "Dinner started five minutes ago." He roughly pushed Hakoda as he passed by, which caused some of the dirty water to spill. Hakoda caught himself from falling and remained silent as he walked away to empty his bucket in the nearby well and then make his to the dinner hall. He wanted to look back to the boy but he held back and moved forward. Somehow in that brief confusing exchange, Hakoda knew he was going to escape. And he was taking that boy with him too.

oOoOo

A/N - I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, I got really busy and also experienced some writers block. I wrote out a whole exchange with Zuko and Hakoda and then realized it wasn't right. It felt too wrong, and I'm trying really hard to stay in character but still incorporate realistically the seriousness of the situation. I also wanted to write more but just found myself content with ending here. I always try to push myself to write long chapters and it just doesn't happen. I can only write so much before I need a break and I find myself wanting to publish what I've completed to see what people think. I probably could use a beta reader but I don't know anyone who would and I don't want to ask a stranger hence I'm not going for ffnet's beta reader thingy. So please forgive any typos. Despite reading it over many times, I'm sure there are some. Hope you enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – A huge THANK YOU to RueBroadway who was kind enough to offer to Beta Read for me. :D

oOoOo

**Chapter 4**

oOoOo

"_Sokka, there's no prison in the World that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses." - Hakoda, "The Boiling Rock, Part 2", Season 3, Episode 15._

oOoOo

It was during the daily outside recreation time that Hakoda finally approached Chit Sang with his escape plan. Usually during this time Hakoda kept to himself yet stayed near Chit Sang's group. It turned out that if he appeared to be part of their gang then no one would bother him. Anyone who stayed too solitary often found themselves in a fight sooner or later. Hakoda certainly didn't want to tell all of Chit Sang's cronies about the plan at this point because then it would be nearly impossible to keep it secret. Yet Hakoda had been studying how the big guy acted. He was certain this thug would keep a secret when necessary as long as maybe his cronies were involved at some point and Hakoda knew he eventually needed them with the plan he had formulated. But right now, he only wanted to discuss it with Chit Sang.

"Hey," Hakoda said as he gently bumped Chit Sang's shoulder when the other guys weren't close enough to hear. "I need to talk to you about something." Hakoda paused and looked meaningfully at the group as he lowered his voice, "_In private_."

Chit Sang looked dubiously at Hakoda, but with his curiosity piqued he nodded silently and moved over to the wall where they would get a decent amount of privacy. "What's on your mind?"

Hakoda looked around quickly with his eyes making sure no one was paying attention before speaking. "I want to get out of this place," Hakoda said as quietly as possible. "And I need help." He looked at Chit Sang meaningfully.

Chit Sang looked at Hakoda for a moment before bursting into a loud guffaw. "You really are a funny guy!" Hakoda nervously looked around, certain that people would now be staring at them, but given that was part of Chit Sang's usual antics; no one paid them any mind. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"No," Hakoda replied, still being as quiet as possible, lowering his tone to express the gravity of the situation. "I mean it. I've got a plan."

"Oh?" Chit sang raised his eyebrow and regarded Hakoda for a moment before lowering his voice, deciding to take Hakoda seriously. "Alright, alright. You got a plan? Let's hear it."

Hakoda sighed and rubbed his temple slightly. He hoped he could get the information he needed to fully form his plan and a lot of it rested on what Chit Sang knew about the prison. "Well," he began, "I've been studying the guards and the security. I'm convinced there's no way to covertly escape, what with this being an island in a steaming lake in a volcano in the ocean."

Chit Sang nodded. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. So what exactly are you planning?"

"It depends," Hakoda replied hesitantly. "How is the prison supplied? I assume there's a shipment of food and supplies to the prison?"

"Yeah, every month a cargo ship comes with food and anything else the prison needs."

Hakoda nodded. "Good. When is the next cargo date?"

Chit Sang furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head as he thought for a moment. Hakoda waited patiently before Chit Sang finally responded, "A week from today, actually."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Why is that important?"

"Well, we need a way off this volcano once we get past the lake."

Chit Sang nodded slightly, "Makes sense, but how exactly do you plan to get past the lake?"

Hakoda smirked, already having thought about this small feat, "Can you start a large prison riot?"

"Tch," Chit Sang spat and waved his hand dismissively. "That's easy enough."

"Well here's the plan so far." Hakoda responded as he lowered his voice even more. Chit Sang leaned in for a better listen. "On supply day we need to start a riot. With that distraction we can use the gondolas to get past the lake."

"But what stops a guard from cutting the ropes?" Chit Sang asked.

Hakoda bit his lip for a moment before continuing, already having thought this over for the better part of the week "We need a hostage."

Chit Sang shook his head. "No good, the warden will sacrifice anyone to make sure no one escapes."

"I thought as much, which is why our hostage will be the warden. Any soldier knows, you take out the leader, you disorient the troops. With the warden as the hostage, they won't dare cut the lines."

Chit Sang was silent for a moment before asking another question. "What about the guards on the other side of the lake?"

"Well, that's what the distraction is for. Am I right in assuming that a good portion of the guards help bringing in the supplies?"

"Yeah, the off duty guards get overtime pay for bringing in the supplies."

"Okay, so we start a riot at the afternoon recreation time" Hakoda's eyes wandered up the catwalk that the warden often presided to watch over the prison population. He wasn't there now, but any time there was a disturbance he came out to stop it and dole out punishments. The ledge was high up, but not too out of reach. He had been studying it any chance he got; he knew how to climb and had picked out the spots where there were enough footholds and crevices to scale the stone wall. "Once the riot gets into full swing the warden will come out to investigate. I can get up to that ledge, I'm a good climber. I'll grab him and we'll get over to the gondolas." Hakoda grinned as the plan started to fit together just as he hoped, "It is perfect. Once we nab the warden and get on the gondola the guards assisting the cargo run will be on the way back on the opposite gondola to help with the riot. We'll slip right past them. We, of course, cut the lines once we get across and get to the ship. The only question that remains is how many people are on the cargo ship and what kind of protection they'd have. I can take a guess, but I can't be sure."

Chit Sang frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea, I was never in the army so I don't know the type of protection they give to cargo ships. Looks like we'll just have to hope we can handle them. I gather you intend to bring my gang into the mix? You'll need the muscle."

Hakoda looked over to Chit Sang's group who were ignoring them and talking amongst themselves. Hakoda had thought long and hard about whom he should bring into this plan, and it was obvious to him that he absolutely must bring muscle in or he has no hope of getting through the riot and overtaking the cargo ship. He also knew the only way to get through the prison's security was to barge through head first instead of sneaking out the back door. With a small sigh, Hakoda responded, "Yeah, we need them. But I don't want to bring them in just yet; the less people who know right now, the better. As for the cargo ship, I'll work it out"

Chit Sang nodded in agreement, "I hear ya, man. They can be a bunch of blabber mouths."

Hakoda nodded, pleased that Chit Sang agreed to keep the plan between them. His mind wandered back to the unknown variable of the cargo ship. He knew just who to ask about how well the Fire Nation would protect its cargo ships. Luckily he was cleaning his room later today.

oOoOo

For the first time at his stay in the Boiling Rock Zuko waited impatiently for the prisoner who would clean his room to arrive. He had so many questions to ask him, most importantly, and first in his mind, what did he exactly mean when he mentioned "_we're getting out of here?_" Was he really planning an escape attempt? And if so, would it work? He couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of hope when he heard those words, but at the same time he felt fear. What if it was a lie? What if it was a trick? What if it wasn't real? What if it failed? All these 'what ifs' had been running rampant through his mind.

Another thing that wouldn't stop nagging at him was the inexplicable familiarity of the man. He knew he was from the Water Tribe, the skin tone and facial features gave that away immediately. Yet there was something familiar about him, despite knowing for sure he had never met the man before in his life.

He also could not understand why this man was helping him when the Water Tribe had very good reason to hate the Fire Nation, more so a royal like himself. Was it really just genuine altruism that had this stranger giving him food and helping him when he was sick? Is there something that this man wants from him, and if so what could that possibly be?

Of course, Zuko also couldn't help but feel completely embarrassed at the way he'd broken down in front of the man. He shouldn't have let this man's words affect him so much. He ended up looking like a sniveling fool. He knew better and he was always able to put up a strong exterior, to hide he feelings of shame. It was this stupid place. It had been chipping away at the wall he'd crafted between himself and the world until it completely crumbled. He felt too exposed and he didn't quite know how to deal with that.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his temple slightly. After months of being in this cell, inactive and just floating along day to day something interesting was finally going to happen. It was almost like a jolt for his body. He had trouble sleeping as these thoughts ignited a tiny flicker of hope that raced through his mind instead of the usual self loathing mantra that usually drummed on and on in his head.

When the door finally opened and the man entered with his cleaning supplies Zuko practically jumped out of his skin, bringing his racing thoughts to a screeching halt. He regarded the man with silence. All the questions he had simply disappeared as he stared at the man who was the cause of his complete bewilderment.

And the man laughed. "You look like I just killed your pet ostrich horse."

That of course, did not amuse Zuko in any way and only caused him to glare harder. However, he wisely chose to ignore the statement and finally voiced one of the questions that had been plaguing him since their last encounter. "What did you mean when you said _we're getting out of here_?"

That took the grin off the man's face and he lowered his voice as he responded. "I meant what I said. I have a plan to get out." The man proceeded with his cleaning and said nothing else, letting Zuko decide the next move.

Zuko wasn't sure how to respond, but eventually found his voice and nicely stumbled over all the questions that had been festering in his mind. "How...this place...it's inescapable...and…_w-why_? Why would ….why would you tell me about it? Who are you? Why are you doing any of this?"

The man replied without looking directly at Zuko. "Well, for starters my name is Hakoda. That was an easy one to answer. As for the rest of it...well like I said, I have a plan. It's not perfect yet but it's the only one I got and I think we can make it work. As to why I would tell you? Simply put I don't think you deserve to be here and I'm going to need your help."

There was so much to respond to in that statement, but Zuko chose only one thing to question. "What makes you think I don't deserve to be here?"

"A man doesn't get thrown in jail, much less a child such as yourself, for not living up to their father's expectations."

That statement was like a slap in the face, immediately causing his blood to boil. Zuko leaped to his feet and glared daggers at Hakoda. "You don't know anything about it!" Zuko said with anger although he kept his voice as low as possible as to not gain attention from the guard. How dare this man assume he knows anything about what happened between him and his father! Besides, it wasn't about that. He was dishonorable and a failure, that kind of thing goes beyond a father-son relationship. At least, that was what he had convinced himself in the years of his exile and months of his imprisonment.

"Don't I?" Hakoda stopped his mopping, meeting his cerulean blues with the Prince's angry amber. "Who else could put the prince of the Fire Nation into a national prison but the Fire Lord himself? What kind of father burns the face of his own son and sends them on a fool errand to find the avatar? I know that you were involved in the battle in the North Pole with the Water Tribe that failed and it was after that battle that you ended up here. What have you done that warrants the treatment that you have merited? What did you do to deserve that scar?"

Zuko was stunned, breathless, and unable to voice any response. It had been so long since he had the truth of his situation thrown in his face like this; since he had to face his failures head on with the blunt truth only a stranger could voice. He felt tears threatening to spill down his cheek but he held them back. He must not fall apart-again-doing that twice would be too much to bear. "How…how do you know all of that?" he asked with a shuddered breath.

"Doesn't matter." Hakoda sighed "The truth of the matter is that whatever you may think you deserve, a father does not do that to his son." With a shake of his head he continued, "I would never do it to mine. It doesn't matter if you're the prince of the Fire Nation or whatever you did to warrant the punishment. I at least know enough to know whatever you did couldn't be as bad as to deserve a life in a tiny cell." Hakoda walked over to Zuko and placed his hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly. "When I first saw you, you were close to death. I saw then an injustice and I swore to myself I would help you. I'm keeping that promise and I'm being honest with you now because that's the kind of man that I am. It's how my father raised me. Honesty and justice, they are values that are cherished by the Water Tribe, and if I have any hope of getting out of here I need your help."

Zuko looked up at Hakoda, taking in everything he had said. He still didn't understand why Hakoda thought he didn't deserve to be here. He had failed, and failed miserably. He had lost his honor and was unable to regain it at this point. How could this man understand what it meant to have no honor, to be a failure? This man may have values of the Water Tribe but there are values in the Fire Nation that Zuko utterly failed to live up to.

Although, to be completely honest, Zuko wasn't even sure what was right or wrong anymore. He loved his country but here he was its prisoner. When had things gone so wrong? He didn't know for sure, but he knew he wanted to get out whether he deserved it or not. He wanted to be free again even if it was in exile or as a fugitive. He wanted to find his uncle because he missed him so much. He wanted another chance to try and redeem himself even if he wasn't sure how he could do that and this man was offering him a way out. This might be the only chance he would ever get, he had to take it. He knew that for now he just needed to push these thoughts aside and deal with the situation at hand. There would be plenty of time to discuss these matters if they get out, and if they didn't-Did it matter? With a sigh, Zuko responded, "Fine. You say you have an escape plan, but how do I know I can trust you?"

"All I can offer you is my word and..." Hakoda reached into his shirt and once more pulled out a piece of bread wrapped in cloth, "more food."

Zuko blinked, and took the offered food and looked at it as if it was some foreign object. "Don't you need this?"

"Not as much as you," Hakoda went back over to the mop and continued once more with his chore. "You're nothing more than skin and bones right now and you need all the food you can get. I'll be fine."

"I can't keep taking your..."

Hakoda cut him off, "You can and will. You need to build up your strength if we're going to get out of here."

Chagrined, Zuko accepted the bread. The statement, however, reminded Zuko that he had absolutely no idea what this man was planning to do escape, and that was something he needed to know. "What exactly are you planning?"

So Hakoda went through the plan as it had been discussed with Chit Sang, explaining in detail how they will overcome the guards and get across the lake. Zuko listened intently when Hakoda finished explaining, Zuko voiced his concerns. "So you're just going to fight your way out? That's your plan?"

"If you have a better plan, please share it."

Zuko sighed, "Okay, whatever! It's got some merit, but what exactly do you need me for? I can't be at the riot, I'm always stuck in this cell, remember? And because of that I've been unable to do anything, I can't fight." He felt his cheeks redden in shame. Just how far had he fallen that he had to admit he was incapable of fighting? The admission stung him deeply.

"I've been studying the layout of the prison. To get from recreation area to the gondolas we have to pass this corridor. With the guards distracted by the riot and the warden our hostage it should be an easy matter of taking his key and grabbing you on the way. As for being useful, can you still firebend?"

"...Yes, I think."

"Well then you'll be of some use." Hakoda looked back up at Zuko. "And there's another thing you can help with. I need to know about the cargo ship."

"What about it?"

"For starters, what kind of detail does a cargo ship usually have?"

"Don't you already know?" Zuko replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. Zuko may not know who specifically this man was, but he knew the type. He was in this jail as a prisoner of war and Zuko had run across many Water Tribe raiders in the past back when he still had his ship. Surely this man had raided a few cargo ships before.

"You're sharp." Hakoda smiled wryly, "Yes with a good number of my men I've been able to take down cargo ships headed to the Earth Kingdom colonies, but we don't have my men and this isn't a cargo ship going to the colonies, it's within Fire Nation territory and I suspect the amount of soldiers may be less, but I can't be sure. Also, it's us and some other prisoners. While I'm sure they can hold their own in a fight, they're not soldiers and I'm sure you know just as I do what that means. The more information I have the better our chances. Now, I'm not exactly sure where this prison is located so I'm not sure how far away from the main land it is and if it gets a light or heavy detail, but I'm sure you know."

Zuko nodded and regarded Hakoda silently. He was dealing with someone who, for all he knew, was his enemy. At the same time this man was his only chance to get out of here, but did this mean he could divulge facts about the Fire Nation? Was he a traitor? Could he put the men of his country in danger? Is that forgivable?

Apparently Hakoda read the look in his eye because he replied solemnly, "I can't promise anything, but I am not going to try to kill the soldiers, just incapacitate them. We need the ship to leave the island."

"Yeah, you're not going to promise anything because you can't," Zuko replied quietly. "Either I am complicit in this and betray my country or I am not and I rot in here for the rest of my life."

Hakoda nodded as he listened to Zuko's dilemma. "I can't decide for you. I don't claim to know what's right, but what I do know is this is probably your only chance of getting out of here and if you ever want to have any chance of redeeming yourself for whatever you think you need to, you can't do it in this cell."

"I know," Zuko whispered and put his face in his hands, rubbing tired at his eyes. "I know," he repeated. No matter what loyalty he felt towards his nation, a nation that had him imprisoned and treated him like dirt, he knew that he desperately wanted to be free. He lifted his head and then looked at the chain attached to his leg. Ever since it was put on his leg had been throbbing in pain from the pressure it applied to his ankle. Looking at it now it still was bruised and dirty. It no longer bled as much since calluses had formed, but it still hurt. It still felt heavy. He thought for a moment how nice it would feel to remove the chain for good, to never be attached to a wall again, to not feel like a dog on a rope. With a sigh he looked up, "The prison is close enough to the mainland to have a light detail; the ship will have only one patrol of ten men."

Hakoda didn't miss a beat, and Zuko was grateful he decided not to pry and instead delved back into the details of the escape, asking questions about the artillery and supplies and the best direction they should go in. They got through many details as they could before they heard the guard bang on the door signaling his impatience for Hakoda to finish up.

"Remember," Hakoda said as he grabbed his supplies and went to the door, "A week from today. Be ready."

Zuko nodded. He felt extremely nervous. There were a lot of variables in this plan, a lot that could go wrong. Still, it was a chance- a _real_ chance to be free. He had been lost in despair for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was like to have this much hope, to feel like he could finally do something to change his situation. "I'll be as ready as I can be."

oOoOo

A/N – So once again, took some time to get this one up, life is life. I went to Katsucon the other weekend and cosplayed Zuko's prisoner outfit on Friday. I have pictures of that and other Avatar cosplays I've done on my Deviant Art page (listed as my homepage) and my American Cosplay Paradise page which I added a link to in my profile, so check it out if you are interested. :D

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story, it's really encouraging to get all your feedback. I haven't written fiction in years so I'm really rusty and getting these positive reviews is really nice.

I have to admit this story is not going where I originally planned. I didn't originally think Hakoda would have such a major role but he turned out to be really fun to write and then paired with my goal of trying to be realistic and IC ended up changing how I went with the story. In the end, I'm very pleased with the direction it's going. I have no idea how long this story is going to be, I guess I'll finish it when it feels done. I have like 3 chapters roughly planned in my head and I'm sure there will be a few more. I have definitely fallen into a rhythm with this story that I think works really well. Keeping it to two sections one in Zuko's and the other in Hakoda's has helped me keep a goal with what I want to get written before putting it on this site. Not sure if all chapters will be like that, but so far it's working well. Also, once again thanks RueBroadway for graciously offering to Beta Read which should keep the typos away and help spice up the chapters.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think and I will try and get Chapter 5 up as soon as I can.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

oOoOo

"_Try to understand, my nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much." - Iroh, "The Storm", Season 1, Episode 12_

oOoOo

It had been nearly a week since Hakoda shared his escape plans with Zuko. At this point they had gone through all the details and the only thing left for them to do was to wait for the opportunity to finally come. Since all the conversation they had during the week was focused on the escape plan, Hakoda had refrained from discussing Zuko's reasons for his imprisonment. He knew from reactions he had seen earlier that the prince was deeply ashamed of his situation and that it was painful to bring it up. It upset Hakoda to think about what this boy must have gone through, just from looking at his battered body.

What he currently knew of the prince came from Earth Kingdom rumors and the little that he'd heard from his son. He couldn't help it, but in the week he knew the boy he had really taken a liking to him and felt a deep sense of growing compassion for this boy. Ever since he had decided to help Zuko escape, he felt conflicted. What would they do after they escaped? Would Hakoda leave Zuko to his own defenses or take the prince with him to find his children? But Hakoda had seen the look on Zuko's face after he confronted him about what his father had done to him, burning his face and throwing him in prison. He knew then and there he would do what he could to protect him. He was not the evil prince Sokka had portrayed. Misguided - yes, but Hakoda could see goodness in the boy and that's what really mattered. There was a capacity for change and maybe- just maybe- Hakoda could help Zuko find his way. And possibly, if this lost prince of the Fire Nation could find his way and be restored as the crown prince, maybe….

_No_, Hakoda shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself. What mattered now was the escape and maybe helping this boy with the problems of the present. Hakoda looked once more at Zuko, taking the boy in entirely. Hakoda was quite impressed by the frail young man. He was very quick on the uptake and very intelligent. It seemed as if the anticipation of escape had given Zuko hope and he definitely looked better as a result. The extra food he had been smuggling him had certainly made a difference. He was still too thin for a boy of sixteen, but at least there was a little more color on his cheeks and he didn't look like he would topple over any second when he stood.

It still mystified Hakoda that the Fire Nation's own prince would be treated this way. You couldn't fall any lower than this boy had fallen. It was clear to Hakoda that if he wanted to help Zuko beyond the escape he had to know why- he had to understand. It was time to broach that question he had avoided for almost a week now. "I want you ask you something," Hakoda said tentatively. "You probably won't like the question."

Zuko looked at Hakoda dubiously and then shrugged, "Just ask."

With a sigh, Hakoda plunged forward, "What exactly did you do to get banished?"

"You're right," Zuko replied sternly, eyebrows wrinkled with discomfort. "I don't like the question."

Hakoda waited for Zuko to answer, but when it became apparent he wouldn't, the water tribe warrior pressed further. "I've heard rumors, you know, but I consider them all just speculation. Did you kill someone?" Hakoda doubted that was the case, but he was hoping it would goad Zuko into responding.

It certainly agitated Zuko who snapped back furiously, "Why are you asking this? It's none of your business!"

Hakoda ignored the rebuttal and continued, hopping to elicit a response that wasn't so defensive, "I'm just asking. Banishment is a severe punishment so it must have been a severe crime, right?"

Zuko glared angrily. "I'm not a murderer." he declared.

"So then, what was it?" Hakoda pressed.

Zuko sighed heavily; looking utterly exhausted in that moment, as if he didn't really have the strength to deal with this conversation and just gave in. Hakoda suspected that the confinement had something to do with his crumbling defenses. If he asked these questions when Sokka and Katara had known the prince, Hakoda was certain he would never have given in so easily, if at all. Zuko spoke so softly that Hakoda had to move closer to hear. "I spoke out of turn."

"What?" Hakoda blurted, wanting to make sure he heard correctly, refusing to believe what he thought he did hear.

"I spoke out of turn," Zuko repeated and the pressed forward with a hurried explanation. "There are rules, my uncle _told_ me. I didn't follow them, it was stupid- and then I was a coward, it just made it worse, it made _everything_ worse…"

"Wait," Hakoda said, putting his hand on Zuko's shoulder to reassure him. "Start at the beginning. Where did you speak out of turn?"

"At a war meeting," Zuko replied, refusing to look Hakoda in the eye. He just stared at the ground, as if it held the answers to his past. "They were having a war meeting. I wanted to go in because I was the prince, I thought I should, it was my right, wasn't it?" Zuko hesitated for a moment, almost unsure if he should continue but eventually he did. "My uncle said I shouldn't say anything, just listen. So I went in and listened to the planning. But one general, he had a horrible plan. He wanted to use young untested fighters as a diversion. He wanted to sacrifice loyal Fire Nation soldiers!" Zuko's fists clenched and he closed his eyes. "I couldn't help it, I had to say something. So I did. It was stupid, I knew it was not my right to say anything, but I did."

Hakoda watched the boy as he explained what happened, not even trying to hide the expression of horror creeping onto his face. "But, you were right. Sacrificing those men was wrong."

Zuko shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What I did was against the rules of the war room. You just don't break those rules."

Hakoda didn't know how to react. There was no way a prince would be banished just for speaking out of turn. There had to be more, and Hakoda wasn't disappointed.

"My father was angry. He said I was so disrespectful that there was only way to resolve it. I had to fight an Agni Kai."

"Agni Kai?" Hakoda asked, confused. He had never heard the term before.

"It's a fire duel. When someone has a grievance against another in the Fire Nation they can settle it with an Agni Kai and whoever wins the battle wins the dispute as well." Zuko trembled as he explained. It was obvious to Hakoda that the worst part was about to come. "I thought…I thought that I was going to battle the general I spoke against. I figured I could take him. But when I went to the face my opponent, it wasn't him. It was my father."

Hakoda's eyes widened in horror as he reluctantly asked, "Why your father?"

"I spoke out of turn in his war room. My insolence was an insult to him." Zuko was now completely shaking, his eyes were so far away as if he was reliving the moment right not. "I couldn't do it," Zuko choked out. "He was my father…I couldn't…I just couldn't fight him." An unrestrained tear fell from the boy's good eye. "I refused to fight. It was dishonorable, I was so stupid. My father, he…he…"

Hakoda shook the prince gently. "Shh, it's alright. You don't have to say it." He didn't need Zuko to say it. The rest of it was written on the boy's face in a burn shaped like the palm of a hand.

"He banished me for it," Zuko said in a low quivering voice. "He said I could only redeem myself if I found the Avatar. He said….he said I would learn respect….that…that suffering would be my teacher." Zuko sat, tears still falling down his face.

Hakoda gasped, unsure of what to do, what to think. He knew that whatever happened had to have been bad, but he had never imagined that this boy was being punished for something so…_trivial._ What kind of father would burn a child's face for something so simple-so easily forgivable? He imagined for a second doing that to Sokka and his stomach turned. He felt he might retch right there in the cell, already feeling the bile crest his gullet. It was utterly reprehensible, unjustifiable, what this boy's father had done. And yet the worst part was that Zuko believed he deserved it. He could see it clear as day. This boy had been violated-_abused_ by his own father and he thought he deserved it.

For the second time since Hakoda had met Zuko he pulled him into an embrace. "Shh," Hakoda whispered in his ear. "You did nothing wrong."

Zuko buried his face in Hakoda's shoulder and shook with anguish. "But I—" Zuko began.

"No," Hakoda cut him off. "You did nothing wrong."

"You don't understand," Zuko insisted as he pulled away from Hakoda. "You don't understand!"

Hakoda looked at the boy sadly, "No, I do understand. I don't think you do. And that's the problem."

"Stop it," Zuko insisted as he wiped the tears from his good cheek, wetness smearing the back of his hand. "I broke the rules. And then I was given a mission and I failed. You can't know what it's like!"

"No," Hakoda replied softly. "I can't. But I do know what it is like to feel like a complete failure." Hakoda had managed to get Zuko to reveal something incredibly private and painful; it was the least Hakoda could do to reciprocate. "I lost my wife a few years ago…in a Fire Nation raid." Hakoda breathed in and out carefully. Just thinking of his wife brought back a wave of heart wrenching pain, the beginning of tears forming in his own eyes. "I was supposed to protect her from harm, and I failed. And even now, I have failed. I'm here in prison when I should be out there fighting with my men and protecting my children. Everyone fails or makes mistakes at some point in their life, Zuko. It's inevitable. And sometimes those mistakes come with horrible consequences, but if you don't pick yourself and try to learn from your failures and mistakes then you will only repeat them."

Zuko regarded Hakoda silently. He couldn't tell if the boy had even heard is words until finally he spoke, "I'm sorry to hear….about your wife."

Hakoda smiled and patted the boy gently on the back. If this Fire Nation prince could show compassion for a Water Tribe enemy after everything he had been through, then there was hope for this boy yet, and even the world. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, you had nothing to do with it." It was then he heard a bang on the door signaling Hakoda to hurry up. "Shit," Hakoda muttered, wishing he had more time to talk with the boy. Hakoda gave Zuko's shoulder a comforting squeeze, "I have to go, but listen-I appreciate your honesty with me today. We are getting out of here and I'm going to help you any way I can. Understand?"

Zuko nodded his head gently.

"Good. Remember, stay calm and don't cause trouble. We are getting out of here." He repeated sternly.

Zuko nodded again and with that Hakoda grabbed his cleaning materials and left the cell.

Hakoda was a bit shaken from the conversation. He couldn't believe that a man was so evil that he would burn the face of his son for such a small transgression. And then to have the boy accept it, as if it was his fault entirely…it was just despicable! There was more to the story, Hakoda was certain but he knew that he had to pursue it another time. As far as he was concerned he knew what he needed to do. Zuko was a good person deep down; despite the way he had been treated by his father and his nation. There was definitely someone worth saving in that cell, someone worth helping. He no longer had any qualms about bringing the prince with him after they escaped, inevitably to his children and the Avatar. Besides there was probably nowhere else in the world the prince could go where he would be safe from the Fire Nation-from his father.

Hakoda was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice another guard walking with a young female prisoner. He had nearly run into her before he registered her presence. "Sorry!" he muttered.

"It's okay," she said before the female guard yanked her forward. "Keep walking."

Hakoda stared for a moment at the young woman in the lighter colored prison rags. She had the light skin and facial features of the Earth Kingdom including bright wide eyes. Hakoda's stomach did a little flip. _Another prisoner of war_. Hakoda sighed as he continued to the mess hall where the male prisoners ate. There was nothing to be done about it, the men and women were kept separate. He couldn't save everyone.

No, instead he was saving a bunch of Fire Nation criminals. The thought made Hakoda mentally cringe. He wanted to help Zuko, no question. But Chit Sang and his gang…they were in prison for a reason. Hakoda didn't like the idea of freeing Fire Nation prisoners but he was desperate to escape and bringing them in was the only conceivable way his plan would work. That of course reminded him that Chit Sang was supposed to explain the plan with them today. Hakoda and Chit Sang had agreed to hold off telling the gang until the day before so the secret didn't accidentally reach the wrong ears.

Hakoda hurriedly put the cleaning materials away and made his way over to the food counter to get his portion for dinner. When he was done he walked over to where Chit Sang already had his food and was shoveling the last of it into his mouth. "Hey," Hakoda said as he sat down next to burly firebender.

"Hey," Chit Sang replied as flecks of food falling from his mouth. He quickly wiped it away and swallowed the rest. "I talked to the guys. They're in."

Hakoda nodded, "Good."

"Of course we knew they'd go for it, who wants to stay in this shithole?" Chit Sang laughed and then took a swig of his water.

Hakoda regarded the man silently for a moment before speaking. There had been something he had meant to tell him sooner, he just wasn't sure how the man was going to take it. Truth was, Chit Sang had no idea of Zuko's involvement but it was about time he informed his temporary partner. It wouldn't be a good idea to wait until they were in the middle of the escape to bring it up "By the way, there's someone else who is in on the plan."

"Oh?" Chit Sang replied, cocking one eyebrow up. "I take it this would be the guy you tapped for information about the cargo ship?"

Hakoda smiled, "Can't get anything past you, can I?" Hakoda wasn't ashamed to admit that he thought Chit Sang was as dumb as a doorknob, but he needed his help. So for now he would be friendly. "…it's Prince Zuko."

"What?" Chit Sang burst loudly, spitting his drink onto the table, causing Hakoda to cringe.

"Shut up," Hakoda whispered urgently, "You want people to hear us?" At this point Hakoda and Chit Sang had developed somewhat of a rapport. He felt no qualms about admonishing the brute a little bit. "The prince is coming with us. He's in on it- has been from the beginning."

Chit Sang lowered his voice, but was still a bit loud in Hakoda's opinion. "There is no way we're getting the prince out of here, he's in solitary confinement!"

Hakoda frowned deeply. He knew this was how he would react, which was why he'd put off telling him until now. "I'm aware of that. Don't you think I would have already taken that into consideration? His cell is on the way out; getting him will be easy enough. Plus we can use another firebender on our side. Once we get off this island and on that cargo ship we will need him to help navigate the Fire Nation waters. His knowledge is absolutely necessary if we're going to succeed."

Chit Sang's eyes furrowed as he listened to Hakoda explain the role Zuko would play. During his argument, Chit Sang's expression changed into something unreadable. "Y'know, you're right. The prince is absolutely necessary." Chit Sang smiled and patted Hakoda on the back. "You think of everything, Water Tribe."

Hakoda weakly smiled. There was something in Chit Sang's smile that he didn't like but he couldn't put his finger on it. It bothered him greatly, but there was nothing he could do at this point. He needed them. Well, to be more accurate, he needed them until they betrayed him. It wasn't a matter of if, but when. Hakoda sighed and began eating his food. Nothing is_ ever easy._

oOoOo

Zuko's nerves were a mess. Today was the day of the escape. He hated his role; waiting for Hakoda to come and free him. He wanted to be more involved in the riot and taking the warden, though in his current condition he probably wouldn't be much help. But still, he hated feeling helpless and he hated feeling weak. Most of all he hated relying on other people. Ever since his mother disappeared he always did everything himself and always resented when he was at the mercy of other people.

There was also the fact that he was here, stuck in his cell, over thinking even the tiniest of details. He couldn't help it. Would their attempt to freedom work? What would happen if it failed? What if Hakoda did not come for him? It was almost too much to bear and he felt himself jumping at any noise he heard outside the door.

Zuko found himself looking at his arms. His self inflicted scratches had mostly healed and all that remained were ragged faint red lines. It was more than a week ago that Zuko had desperately wanted to die. And now here he was, facing a chance to be free; possibly his only chance ever. Zuko closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath, tried to prevent himself from becoming frantic. Nothing was secure. So much could still go wrong. He had to calm down. He had to be ready.

Hakoda explained to him that the riot would take place in the afternoon, but Zuko didn't have a reliable way of telling what time of day it was. He had not been outside in months and his cell did not have a window. As far as Zuko knew, Hakoda could arrive within the minute or the next hour.

In the time that Hakoda had first presented the plan to Zuko, he had started to do everything he could to regain the strength that he had lost so much of. It was difficult given the chain that limited where he could go within the cell. He still did anything he could to help condition his body without gaining the attention of the guards. Push-ups and limited bending forms constituted part of his routine. After the first day of training and rebuilding his strength, his muscles burned with the tiniest movements. Zuko pushed forward despite the pain.

Eventually his muscles got used to the strain, but they were still horribly underdeveloped; a consequence of months of inactivity. He could only build up so much of his strength on his limited diet, but at least he was a little bit stronger than a week ago. Now he could put up something that at least resembled a fight.

Zuko had tried to exercise today to get his mind off the upcoming events but he just couldn't get into it. He felt dizzy with excitement. He needed to try and calm down or he would be completely useless whenever Hakoda did come to get him.

Of course the escape attempt wasn't the only thing plaguing his mind. The conversation he had with Hakoda yesterday still made his stomach turn. What was it about this man that left him crying like a baby in his arms? In all the years since his banishment he had never told anyone what had happened. His uncle knew, of course, and he was almost certain his uncle had said something about it to the crew of his ship-back when he had a ship. It was something that was always on his mind every day of his exile but he never spoke about it out loud. Now that he _had_ spoken about it, it made the whole experience feel different. He was always inwardly admonishing himself for being a fool, for being disrespectful, for being dishonorable-and yet-when speaking about the experience yesterday, it felt wrong. If it had been another person, in another nation, he would have felt disturbed, wouldn't he have? It didn't _sound_ like it was his fault. In truth it sounded like his father was a monster. But that couldn't be true! It was his father, how could his father – the Fire Lord – be wrong?

A key jiggled in the door's lock and Zuko was jolted out of his thoughts and he felt as if his blood had instantly turned to ice water and that his heart was pumping too fast. Someone was at his door-this was it! Adrenaline blurred his vision and warmed his senses. The moment was finally here when he could finally leave this torturous place, all he had to...

Zuko's heart sank all the way into his stomach, his nerves once again turning cold. It wasn't Hakoda. It was one of the guards.

Zuko silently berated himself for being such a fool, he knew better than to jump at any sound. He quickly sat back down on the cot trying not to look as shaken as he felt. He kept his eyes low, the way the guards preferred. What was this guard doing here? Wait-Where was his backup? Why wasn't he wearing a helmet? Any time he was taken from the cell it was with two guards. _No..._One guard only meant one thing...

The guard wasted no time and advanced on him. Zuko dared to look up at the guard when the man hit him hard with a blow to the face. Zuko cried out in pain as he crumbled to the floor. Zuko lay sprawled on his itchy bedding and tried desperately to get his bearing. The blow left his head dizzy and disoriented but He wouldn't fight back. He learned a long time ago the consequences of fighting back whenever a guard chose to give him a beating. _Just take it, and it will be over. Just get it over with. _It wasn't long until he felt a hand grab at his collar and yank him back. Zuko sputtered as the cloth temporarily cut off his breathing. He flailed franticly as he was roughly tossed back onto his cot. Zuko yelped in pain as he slammed into the wooden slab, his abdomen had taken the brunt of the impact. The breath was knocked out of him and he coughed heavily.

Zuko felt his body being lifted once more and dropped none too gently on the cot. This was new. Usually when he received a beating they didn't care where he was, they would simply rain blows on his body as he curled into a ball on the ground. This man was also silent as he beat Zuko; normally the guards would jeer at him when they were beating him. Now he was on the cot as the guard punched him once more in the face before grabbing at Zuko roughly and flipping him so he lay on his stomach.

The guard's intention became chillingly clear. He heard the fumbling and clink of a belt buckle while he pressed Zuko down onto the cot with the other hand. Zuko froze with fear. _No!_ He couldn't let this happen, he had to fight back. He had taken so much mistreatment in all these months but this kind of humiliation would be more than he could bear. Zuko screamed as loud as he could, "No!" and kicked back with both his feet. There was no direction in his kicks but he put as much power as he possessed into them, hoping to catch the man off guard. The man yelped in pain as his feet found a sensitive spot causing the man to fall backward. Zuko twisted around, scrambling away from his attacker.

The man wasted no time in rebounding from the blow. "You little, fucker!" he spat as he advanced on Zuko once again.

"Get away from me!" Zuko yelled as he tried the fight the man off, punching and kicking wildly. He knew fighting back was useless; he simply wasn't as strong as he used to be, but he had to fight. He couldn't _let_ this happen. And maybe, just maybe another guard would hear and put a stop to it. _Please let someone come and help me, _Zuko silently begged.

It wasn't long before Zuko was overpowered once more; the guard was just too strong for him. He had managed to grab Zuko's wrists and had straddled Zuko's body so that he was pinned down. Zuko screamed as loud as he could but he found himself caught once more, trapped underneath the brutish guard with his weight constricting his breathing. "No!" he continued to scream as loud as he could, his lungs burning from the strain.

"Shut up, you little bitch," The guard growled as he attempted to switch both Zuko's wrist to one hand, freeing the other to slap Zuko in the face and then resume what he had started before getting kicked.

Zuko struggled, squirming as much as he could. He couldn't let this happen; he had to fight with everything he had. It wasn't long before Zuko felt the man's hand touch his own belt, tugging at the fabric rope that held together the prisoner rags. "No! Get off me!" Zuko cried out as he tried desperately to get out of this man's grasp. Zuko searched deep within his soul for one last ounce of strength that remained in his battered body. All the energy that he had he sent to his hands, which then ignited in a fiery burst. The man screamed in pain as he immediately let go of Zuko's hands. Zuko didn't waste a second and sent that flame directly into the face of the guard. Every last bit of energy poured into the flame burst that engulfed the guard's entire face.

Zuko heard a blood curdling scream and a sickening smell of burning flesh overwhelmed the cell, a smell Zuko knew all too well. He looked down at the guard who had fallen from the cot onto the floor. The man was screaming as he writhed on the floor. Almost his entire face was charred black.

Zuko felt like he was going to retch at the sight and smell of what he had done. He quickly looked away trying to block out the smell and the screams. _He deserved it,_ Zuko thought desperately, _he was going to rape me!_

Suddenly the door burst open as four guards ran into the room, drawn by the horrendous screams. They immediately ran to the injured guard to see what had happened. Shortly after the guards entered the warden stepped in, grimacing as he took in the situation.

"Bring him to the infirmary," the warden ordered two of the guards. They picked up the writhing body and dragged the burned man away whose screams had reduced to a pathetic whimpering.

The remaining guards stood by waiting for any orders as the warden turned to Zuko who had crouched in a corner as soon as the guards had burst in. Zuko regarded the man fearfully uncertain of what would happen next.

"Seems like you have a little fire left in your after all," The warden said after a few moments of silence.

Zuko didn't know what to say or if he should say anything at all, so he remained silent. The warden then walked over to Zuko and kicked him savagely. Zuko yelped in pain. He was already incredibly sore from the first attack that he couldn't bear another beating. It didn't stop the warden from savagely kicking him over and over again until Zuko thought he might pass out from the pain.

The warden jeered at Zuko as he beat him, "Come on, Prince Zuko, _firebend_ at me. You can do it! Firebend, you little prick!"

"I can't!" Zuko cried out, desperately hoping the warden would stop. "I didn't mean to!" Zuko was sobbing loudly but he didn't care. "He was trying to rape me!" Surely the warden didn't allow that kind of crime against his prisoners. He would have mercy on him! He has to understand!

"You should have let him," The warden replied with a sneer as he leaned over Zuko. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. It took only a moment for him to find the right one and remove Zuko's ankle chain. "Get up!"

Zuko knew better than to resist as he struggled to stand. Jolts of pain shot through his body as made it to his feet. He found it hard to breathe and silently wondering if a rib was broken. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Guards," The warden snarled at him. "Take him to the cooler"

Zuko hesitated, his heart sinking into his stomach. "No! Please, I didn't mean to burn him! It was an accident!"

The warden slapped him across the face, "You know the rules! Now move!"

Zuko dared not rebel again and didn't fight the guards who now had his arms wrenched behind him. They dragged Zuko out of the room and down a few corridors until they reached the cooler area. When they arrived, Zuko was tossed roughly into the small chamber causing him to crumble to the ground in pain. Without a word they slammed the door leaving Zuko in the below freezing cell.

Zuko stared at the locked door as comprehension slowly sunk in. He was not where he needed to be for the escape. He was going to miss his one chance to get out of this torturous place. The reality of the situation was simply too much to take in that he continued to stare at the door in complete shock.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

oOoOo

"_No one has ever, ever escaped from here. I'd sooner jump in the boiling lake myself than let that record fall. Don't forget it." - The Warden _"_The Boiling Rock, Part 2", Season 3, Episode 14._

oOoOo

It was the recreational period outside and Suki was sitting by herself away from the other female prisoners. It was typical for her to stay away from the other women considering they were Fire Nation criminals and she was a prisoner of war. There were only about a dozen female prisoners but they were a rough bunch. They also wanted nothing to do with an Earth Kingdom war prisoner and that suited Suki just fine.

It had been a couple of months since Suki faced the Fire Nation princess in battle and that was the last time she had seen her fellow Kyoshi warriors. Once she had been subdued she was taken away on a Fire Nation ship and separated from her companions. The weeks that followed were the most painful of her life as she was tort-_interrogated_ mercilessly for information. It took all the willpower she possessed but she managed to get through without revealing any damaging information about the Earth Kingdom army. Eventually they gave up and she was sure they would execute her but instead she ended up here where she had been for the past few weeks. There was a faint glimmer of hope that maybe her companions would be in the prison but they quickly dashed when she was introduced to the small female population of the prison and did not find any face she recognized.

Suki possessed a pragmatic attitude and refused to let this get her down. She tried her best to regain and keep up her strength. She trained in her cell every chance she got and made sure to avoid the wrath of the guards and her fellow prisoners. She had to be at her best should the moment come when she would have the chance to get out of the place. Suki absolutely refused to succumb to despair; she was not a defeatist.

Suki looked over to the other side of the prison complex which housed the male prisoners. She was grateful that the women were separated from the men, refusing to think what could possibly happen if that was not the case. They currently had the same recreational period but were separated by about 20 feet with fences in between. Occasionally some of the male prisoners would catcall to any women nearby but in general they went through their day to day routine harassment free. The prison also did a good job of keeping female guards allocated to the female prison population. Suki had heard rumors that there had been issues with the rape of female prisoners that forced the warden to segregate the guards along with the population.

She was happy that presently the area by the dividing fence was vacant. There were no men to distract her from her meditation. It was a moment of freedom that she found herself doing more often during the brief periods she was permitted outside. However, not long into her trance she found herself jolted back into the present by the extreme noise coming from the other side of the enclosure. Once again she looked over in annoyance at the interruption, but was shocked when she realized what was going on. It was unmistakable from where she was that a huge riot was brewing.

Suki had seen only one other riot in the prison during the few weeks she had been here and it was clear to her this one was far bigger and way more dangerous. Immediately she stood and moved closer to get a better look. The male prisoners were fighting recklessly with each other and with the guards. There was so much firebending that practically anything that was flammable in the vicinity was now burning furiously, including the bodies of the first few victims.

Suki didn't need to be told how bad this was. If the guards didn't get control, the prisoners would come after their female population next. She looked around desperately trying to see if any guards were trying to contain the fray when she caught the figure of a man climbing the side of the main building. Suki squinted to try and see what he was trying to accomplish. He continued climbing until he reached the ledge where Suki noticed the warden was, barking out orders to his men and completely oblivious to the prisoner who had just reached the upper railing. Suki gasped. Would this man kill the warden? That question was answered when the man attacked the warden with a blow to the head. As best as Suki could tell, the blow was not fatal and it appeared that the man was trying to subdue the warden. Suki's eyes widen as she realized the man was not trying to kill the warden but use him as a hostage.

"GET IN LINE!" shouted one of the guards in her part of the prison causing Suki to look away.

The female guards were ordering the prisoners to get in line. Obviously they were aware of the problem on the other side and decided they needed to get the female prisoners back into their cells. Suki took one last look at the riot and in that instant she knew what she had to do. If she was ever going to get out of this place now was the time. If she stayed the male prisoners might gain control and should that happen it didn't matter how much she had trained, there wouldn't be any mercy for her.

Suki looked up at the railing that was near her. If that man could climb it then so could she. With one last glance at the screaming guard, she quickly began to climb the fence. With cat-like agility she leaped from the top to grab the lower ledge of the railing. Suki lifted herself onto the ledge with all the strength she possessed, arms and legs straining with their sudden use.

"GET BACK HERE!" The guard's voice boomed followed by a burst of flame in her direction. Suki ducked the streaming fire and without a second thought ran in the direction where she had last seen the man and the warden.

oOoOo

The warden was a strong guy but Hakoda had managed to hold him down. He was extremely lucky to have had the element of surprise as it proved incredibly advantageous. He silently thanked his father for all those lessons in knot tying as he quickly bound the warden's hands behind his back and followed with a gag. Hakoda grabbed the man painfully by the arm and hair, producing as much pain as possible and effectively subduing the warden.

Hakoda spared one glance at the riot and hesitated for a moment. Everyone in the prison was fighting and it looked as if the whole prison was on fire and the smell of charred flesh was in the air. He never imagined the riot would have gotten so out of control so fast. He silently chastised himself for that foolishness. He was dealing with firebenders, what else did he expect?

With a disdainful shake of his head, Hakoda dragged the warden into the building. He was supposed to meet Chit Sang at the eating area with the warden and then make his way to Zuko's cell. He had a good sense of direction, so despite never having been on this level before he figured out where he needed to go very quickly.

Chit Sang was waiting for him exactly where they discussed with his gang in tow. "Hurry up, man!" Chit Sang called to him as Hakoda hurried over. "There's a riot out there you know!"

Hakoda couldn't help but smile at Chit Sang's ironic tone as he tossed the warden to one of the cronies. "Yeah, good job with that. Let's go!"

Hakoda didn't have to think twice about where to go as he raced in the direction of Zuko's cell. He had nothing else on his mind but what he had to accomplish. Here was a battle trained warrior who knew how to keep his focus and finish the task at hand.

They met little resistance in the hall as most of the guards were focused on controlling the riot. Any guards they did encounter were easily taken care of. Once they reached the familiar cell that Hakoda knew so well he grabbed the key ring from the warden's belt. He had seen the door opened enough times to know which key to look for. Without missing a beat he found the key he needed and opened the cell door.

oOoOo

Zuko sat huddled in the cooler trying desperately to stay warm. It certainly did not help that his head was swimming with pain from the beating he had received only an hour earlier. Despair had once more seeped into his bones as he shook uncontrollably from the chill. The severity of what had happened to him was simply too much for words. The one chance he had to escape was lost because of _one_ guard.

Zuko had gone through the attack in his mind over and over again. For a brief moment Zuko almost wished he had not fought back, however as soon as that thought had crossed his mind he felt sick to his stomach. There was just no way he'd ever let _that_ happen to him. Despite everything this prison had done to him there was only one dignity that remained to him and he was not prepared to lose it.

With a sigh that produced a puff of icy breath, Zuko buried his face in his hands. He ignored the pain he felt from the bruises on his face and tried to control his fluttering heartbeat. With his last hope of escape painfully wrenched from his grasp only, one way out remained.

Then he heard it. The roar of the prison population had made its way to Zuko's cooler. It was barely perceptible at first and he had to focus his ears to make sure he was hearing correctly. Then the noise got louder and he knew without a doubt what it was; the riot. This was the moment he was supposed to wait for in his cell and he could hear it up in the cooler.

Zuko crawled over to one of the vents and pressed his ear closer. There was an open vent near where the riot was taking place and was tunneling the noise directly to the cell. Zuko wanted to cry at the injustice of not only being taken from the one place where he had a chance of escaping but to also hear his missed opportunity.

Zuko clenched his fists in anger. _No_. He was not giving up. Here was his chance and if he had to fight for it then he would. He did not fight that guard just to give up now.

Slowly Zuko stood up with a wince. His ribs still hurt but they were not cracked as he had feared; only bruised. Despite the beating he had suffered he knew he had _something_ left in him to fight. With a final breath of determination, Zuko beat on the door of the cooler.

"Hey!" he screamed as loud as he could. "Please help me!" Zuko poured as much agony as he could into his voice. He had to get the guard's attention and make him open the door.

Zuko heard a bang on the door in response. "Shut up!"

"Please!" Zuko begged refusing to give up, "I need help!" He continued to bang furiously on the cooler.

He heard a loud curse before he finally heard the familiar jingle of keys and then the loud creaking of the door opening. Zuko knew he had only a moment to take advantage of this chance and he wasted no time. Years of training told Zuko to go straight for the nose-one of the most sensitive spots to hit-and he did just that as he put all the strength he had into the punch.

Zuko heard the satisfying crunch of bone as the guard cried out in pain, his hands going straight to his bloodied face and for the moment ignoring Zuko. Zuko wasted no time, knowing he did not stand a chance if he continued the fight. He slipped right past the guard running as fast as he could, in the direction that he hoped would lead him to freedom.

oOoOo

Empty. Hakoda could only stare into the cell in shock as the bare metal walls seemed to mock him silently. There was no sign of the Prince. Hakoda felt his blood run cold as the he sensed his perfectly laid plans come crashing down. Where could Zuko have gone? All he had to do was wait in his cell-something must have happened, but what?

Suddenly that shock shifted into anger as Hakoda turned to the warden. "Where is he?" Hakoda demanded furiously.

The warden didn't respond and simply laughed at him through his gag, unwilling to answer the question.

It only worked to make Hakoda even angrier and resulted in a sharp blow to the warden's face. "You will tell me where Zuko is now!" he warned sternly.

"Hey!" Chit Sang cut in, stopping Hakoda's impromptu interrogation. "The boy isn't here, so we move on!"

Hakoda turned to the larger man Chit Sang, his face still red with anger. "I can't leave him! I made a promise!"

"Fuck your promise," Chit Sang spat. "The warden ain't telling you nothing and I ain't gonna lose my chance to escape because the boy ain't here! It won't be long before the guards get things under control. We're leaving NOW!"

"Fine, you go!" Hakoda exclaimed. "I'm going to find, Zuko!"

Chit Sang shook his head. "You're fucking crazy, but it ain't no skin off my back. I'm leaving as soon as I get to that gondola, with or without you and I ain't waiting!"

Hakoda hesitated for a moment, looking Chit Sang in the eye. There was no question that Chit Sang would leave him to save his own skin. He knew going in that this man would not have his back; he was a criminal after all. However Hakoda had made a promise and he did not intend to break it. "I'm not asking you to wait," Hakoda finally replied.

Chit Sang nodded and replied gruffly, "If I were you I'd look in the coolers. Come on guys." Chit Sang headed off in the direction of the gondolas with his cronies and the warden in tow.

Without losing a moment Hakoda bolted off in the direction of the coolers while mentally kicking him-self. He knew this was foolish. He knew he was throwing away his chance to escape. But he had to do this. He would never forgive himself if he just left the boy in this torturous place- _especially_ after what he knew. Zuko was an innocent; he knew that without a doubt. And he made a promise; it had to stand for something.

oOoOo

Zuko ran as fast as he could even though he didn't exactly know where to go. Despite being a resident of this prison for months, his solitary confinement prevented him from getting a good sense of the layout. All he knew was that he had to find an exit and from there the gondolas.

It didn't take long for him to run straight into a dead end. "Fuck!" Zuko exclaimed as he quickly changed direction, retracting his steps. Already he was breathing heavy from the tremendous exertion on his body. He was simply not used to this much activity, but Zuko kept running. He was not about to give up.

_Please let this be the right way,_ Zuko silently pleaded as he turned another corner...and ran straight into two prison guards.

"Shit!" Zuko swore as he tried to turn around without the men noticing him. The guards had been running down the hall in the direction of the riot but stopped short when they saw him and started chasing him down the hall. Zuko desperately tried to push his body to run faster; he could not afford to get into a conflict. He just wasn't strong enough to properly defend himself in a fight, especially against two guards.

The guards, however, had other ideas and one of them sent a fire blast in Zuko's direction. He was barely able to dodge the blast and had to throw himself onto the ground to avoid it. He landed with a yelp of pain as the impact jolted his already fatigued frame.

Zuko tried to get back up as quickly as possible but he was not quick enough. One of the guards grabbed him by the hair and yanked him back with brutal force.

"No, Let go!" Zuko cried out as he was flung towards the other guard. His scalp felt like it was burning where his hair had been grabbed.

"Well look at that," One of the guards said with a small chuckle. "This little piece of shit thinks he can run away from us."

Zuko felt a wave of cold fear run through his veins as he backed himself into a wall to try and get away from the guards.

"Guess we'll have to teach him a lesson," The other guard replied as he lifted his arm and a large flame appeared in his hand. All Zuko could see was the flame as it moved towards his face; it was chillingly familiar. He found himself frozen with fear and unable to move even a muscle in his defense.

And then the flame was gone and Zuko was barely able to register what had happened. First there was a guard threatening him with a menacing flame and then he was on the ground, having been taken down by small, lithe figure. Zuko watched as this person easily took down the guard with a few well placed kicks and punches and then easily went from one to the other, dispatching the second guard in a similar fashion.

Zuko blinked as he looked at the figure before him and then his eyes widened as he realized his rescuer was one of the female prisoners. "Who-?"

"You!" She exclaimed as her own eyes widened in apparent recognition, then narrowed in anger. "What are _you _doing here?"

Zuko was taken aback by her tone. Obviously this girl knew who he was, but Zuko had absolutely no recollection of her. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Zuko!" A voice exclaimed from the other side of the corridor.

Zuko looked immediately to the source of the voice and felt his heart nearly skip a beat in relief. _Hakoda! _Zuko immediately scrambled to his feet as the man ran towards him.

"What happened to you?" Hakoda asked with obvious shock on his face, his eyes quickly scanning the prince. Zuko knew he must look like an absolute mess after the beatings he received; he didn't need a mirror to know there must be bruises all over his face. He was about to respond but Hakoda didn't give Zuko a chance to answer. "Nevermind, we've got to go-_now." _

"You guys are escaping, right?" the girl quickly chimed in. Hakoda hesitated and looked at her in surprise, only just now noticing the young female. The girl didn't wait for an answer, "I'm coming with you." And Hakoda didn't waste any time and simply nodding as he grabbed Zuko by the wrist and ran back in the direction that he came. The female prisoner followed without another word.

Zuko barely even knew where they were going; he just focused on keeping one foot in front of the other and let Hakoda guide his direction. He already felt utterly exhausted; he was working only on pure adrenaline now. Every time Zuko felt himself lagging Hakoda gripped his arm even tighter. He just had to run.

Suddenly Hakoda came to an abrupt stop and Zuko gasped desperately for breath. He was bathed in sunlight causing his eyes to tear from the bright light. He felt his heart pounding- not just from over exertion-but from feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin for the first time in months. The feeling was absolutely exhilarating, almost sweet.

He wasn't permitted to enjoy his reintroduction to his element for too long, as Hakoda got his bearings and pulled the prince off in a new direction. Zuko found himself running up a flight of stairs trying not to trip on over his feet. He was barely aware of the girl following close behind them. Once they reached the top they stopped once more and Zuko blinked in surprise at what they had stumbled upon. There were about half a dozen bodies of prison guards strewn across ground. Zuko looked up to a group of prisoners already inside the gondola at the landing, while another was at the lever that released the gondola.

"Chit Sang!" Hakoda yelled suddenly, startling Zuko.

The man at the lever turned towards them, a smile on his large face. "Hurry up!" He called back as he switched the lever and with a powerful kick, broke it off. The gondola began moving and the man hopped onto it before it got too far away.

"Shit!" Hakoda cursed as he once again grabbed Zuko by the arm and ran in the direction of the gondola. Zuko's lungs were burning and his legs felt as if they were going to fall off, but he pressed on. It was only a short distance to the landing. They would make it; they _had_ to. Zuko's heart leaped into his throat as they speed up and before he knew it, they were airborne.

Hakoda leaped towards the gondola, which was quite a far ways away. For moment Zuko felt weightless, the wind softly cradling his form as they flew. He wondered for a split second if this was how the Air Bender Avatar felt when he traversed the sky's currents; and then it felt as if his arm was being wrenched out of his shoulder socket in a painful jerk. He was swinging freely from the gondola, his only lifeline being Hakoda who himself had one arm clinging to the gondola's railing. The feeling was absolutely terrifying but he knew he had to stay as still as possible so that Hakoda would not lose his grip. It wasn't long before he felt himself being raised up along the side of the gondola.

"That was quite a jump there, Water Tribe," one of the prisoners said with a loud guffaw as he helped Hakoda onto the gondola and then pulled Zuko up. Once he was within reach of the railing he clung to it desperately as the fear of falling continued to course through his veins.

"Zuko, it's alright," Hakoda said gently, "You're safe."

Zuko looked at Hakoda and shuddered nervously but then nodded and permitted Hakoda to help him over the ledge. Once he was within the safety of the gondola he collapsed to the floor.

"I'm quite impressed, you actually got the boy." It was the prisoner who had helped Hakoda and Zuko into the gondola that spoke. It took Zuko a moment, the brightness of the sun and dizzying exhaustion slowing his mental process, but he recognized him as the prisoner who often kicked him around when he would clean his room. Zuko cringed at the realization but was careful not to show any fear.

"No thanks to you," Hakoda quipped back as he helped the female prisoner over the railing who had also managed to jump onto the side of the gondola.

"Aww, I'm hurt," Chit Sang said sarcastically and then he noticed the girl. "Whoa, man. You picked up a lady along the way. Good idea, it's been a while you kn-"

Hakoda grabbed Chit Sang's shirt and forcefully pushed him against the railing. "Touch her and I cut off whatever appendage you touched her with. Is that clear?"

"Whoa, whoa," Chit Sang said as he raised his hands to get Hakoda to back off. "I was only joking. Can't you take a joke?"

"Only if it's funny," Hakoda responded as he let go of Chit Sang and turned to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Suki," She replied. From what Zuko had witnessed he knew she could handle herself in a fight but it was obvious she was grateful for the backup.

"Pleasure to meet you, Suki," Hakoda replied kindly, a complete flip from the tone he had taken with Chit Sang. "I'm Hakoda. You're Earth Kingdom, correct?"

Suki nodded, "Yes, I'm with the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Good, so you can fight-" Hakoda said as he looked up at the landing they were headed towards. "-because this isn't over yet."

"What's the plan?"

Hakoda began explaining as quickly as possible the remaining part of the plan. Zuko took the chance to look around the gondola. It was filled with eight other prisoners, definitely a rough looking bunch. Zuko also noticed the warden, bound and gagged on the floor. In that moment their eyes met and Zuko felt a flood of venom pouring from the warden's eyes directly towards him. It was as if the warden blamed _him_ for the situation he was in.

Zuko was so lost in that stare that he barely noticed when he was being spoken to. "Zuko, how are you feeling? _Zuko_?"

Zuko broke eye contact with the warden as he realized he someone was talking to him. He glanced up at Hakoda, who was looking at him with concern and was now kneeling next him on the floor. "Are you alright?"

Zuko nodded hesitantly. "Yeah...I think so."

"You're a mess," Hakoda replied. "You've got bruises all over your face. What happened?"

Zuko blinked as he tried to comprehend Hakoda's words. He felt as if the world had suddenly slowed down right before his eyes. Zuko's head was pounding as his heart continued to pump thunderously from the strain of today's events. "I...um...a guard. He attacked me...in my cell. I'm sorry."

"Shh," Hakoda says as he discreetly reached for Zuko's hand and squeezed it gently. "It's not your fault. And it doesn't matter, I still found you. Do you think you can fight? We're almost at the other side."

"I don't know...but I'll try."

Hakoda nodded. "Stay near me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright, guys. We're almost at the ledge. Remember we need to get as close as possible before the ship notices us. We need that element of surprise."

The other prisoners nodded in agreement and some of them pulled out the weapons they had taken from the fallen guards. It wasn't long after his announcement that the gondola came to screeching halt.

"Alright, let's go," Hakoda said as he motioned to the door. One of the men wasted no time in swinging the door open and the rest followed. Chit Sang, the warden, Hakoda, Suki, and Zuko rounded out the last of the group.

Once they were out of the gondola Chit Sang, who was holding onto the warden, turned to Hakoda. "Do we need him anymore?"

Hakoda shook his head. "No, leave him in the gondola."

Chit Sang smiled. "Sure thing." Without warning the man place his large hands on the warden's head and with a sickening crack he broke the warden's neck.

Zuko stared at the warden; his eyes were once more locked with Zuko's. Slowly the fire in those eyes faded as the body sank to the ground in a lifeless heap

"No!" Hakoda screamed as he bolted over to the body of the warden, but it was too late. It had happened so fast that nothing could be done. "Damnit, Chit Sang! I did not say kill him!"

"You didn't have to." Chit Sang replied casually, unaffected by the murder he had just committed.

"And you didn't have to kill him!" Hakoda snapped backed, his face flushed with fury.

"Yeah I did," Chit Sang replied and spat on the ground. "Not my fault you refuse to accept it." And with that Chit Sang followed his cronies who were already making their way down the rocky slop.

"Fuck!" Hakoda cursed in a low voice as he let Chit Sang walk away. Zuko ignored them both and simply stared at the warden; his eyes still locked with those of the cold dead warden. It was then that Zuko realized how he was truly a traitor to his country.

oOoOo

A/N - Sorry guys for another cliffhanger of sorts. I will try to get out chapter 7 as soon as possible. I am unfortunately very a busy person (especially with a convention I work for coming up in less than 2 months) but all your wonderful reviews keep me motivated, so thanks for that. Keep them coming please! :D

I hope people are happy to see Suki. I always intended to bring her in I just had a hard time figuring out the method, but believe it or not the method came to me in the shower. I find showers conducive to thinking for some reason. I strive not only to have a story people will enjoy but to make sure everything makes sense and is realistic.

Once again, thanks to RueBroadway for the beta read.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

oOoOo

"_Actually, we met a long time ago... you kind of burned down my village." Suki, "The Boiling Rock, Part 1", Season 3, Episode 14_

oOoOo

Hakoda looked down at the warden, then up at Zuko. The boy was simply staring at the body that lay slumped on the landing. Hakoda felt sick to his stomach. He had no love for the warden but he never wanted this to happen. Hakoda looked to the landing on the other side and he could see a group of guards getting on the other gondola to come after them. With a sigh of exhaustion, Hakoda turned to Suki. "Follow the others; we'll be there in a moment."

Suki nodded and quickly ran after the others.

"Zuko...Zuko?" Hakoda called to the boy who seemed to not hear anything that was going on around him. "Zuko, we need to go," Hakoda insisted a little louder.

Zuko slowly came to, looking up at Hakoda, a blank look on his face. "He's dead."

The statement hung in the air, stiff and stale until Hakoda finally responded as honestly as he could. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend for it to happen this way." Truth be told, nothing was happening as he planned. First the riot ended up being much larger than anticipated. Secondly, Zuko was not in his cell-instead he'd apparently been beaten severely. Then there was the mysterious girl joining their escape attempt, though Hakoda viewed that as a positive.

Despite Zuko's courageous effort to be strong inside that weak frame, Hakoda could clearly see that the ordeal had shaken him. It actually confused Hakoda a little. The boy had shown amazing resiliency in the past week and yet one bad encounter with a guard seemed to drain him and bring him back to the way he was when Hakoda has first met him. More happened than Zuko had told him; that much Hakoda knew.

Zuko stood unmoving for a few moments, eyes still glued on the body, when Hakoda spoke once more. "Zuko, we _have _to go."

"I know...I just..." Zuko swallowed gravely as he tried to express his thoughts. "I don't...I don't know what to think."

Hakoda moved closer to the prince and reached for his hand squeezing it gently, trying to express as much concern as he could. "I know, but we have to go. Everyone else is already going down the hill."

Zuko closed his eyes and then looked up at Hakoda. When their eyes met he nodded and Hakoda knew the boy was back with him.

"Before we go, I need you to burn the ropes," Hakoda said carefully.

Zuko looked down at the gondola that was being boarded and then nodded. They couldn't have the guards coming up behind them when they attacked the cargo ship, Zuko knew that. With his free hand the prince built up a red hot flame that he tossed to the ropes with a flick of the wrist. Hakoda was quite impressed. He knew that in his condition to create fire must have been difficult but Zuko made it look effortless.

"Let's go," Hakoda said as soon as the ropes were lit. He reach for Zuko's hand again and led Zuko towards the path the other prisoners had already taken.

oOoOo

Suki didn't like the situation one bit. Not only was she escaping with the banished prince who had set fire to her village but she was also escaping with murderers. She never did like the warden, he was a brutal man, and yet watching that prisoner kill him left her uneasy. There were rules of engagement that any honorable soldier knew. You didn't kill an unarmed man, especially one who was bound and effectively incapacitated.

As a result, when Hakoda ordered her to follow Chit Sang and the others, she moved off the landing but didn't catch up with the others. Instead Suki hung back out of sight. She didn't want to be near that murderer.

Suki stood silently as she watched Hakoda try to coax Zuko out of the trance he had fallen into. There was the other uncomfortable situation since joining this escape attempt. She had spent months harboring hatred for the person who had burned down her village and yet here she was face to face with him and all she could feel was pity. The face she had remembered was arrogant and strong and now that same face was weak and gaunt. She didn't know how to reconcile those two very different people.

It didn't take long for Hakoda and Zuko to catch up to where she was. Hakoda noticed her immediately and his eyebrow rose in question but he didn't say anything.

"I don't want to be alone with them," Suki stated plainly.

"I don't blame you," Hakoda replied. "Let's go."

Suki followed as they ran to catch up with the others. They had found a spot hidden by rocks and trees where they could observe the dock unseen. A quick glance confirmed that the cargo ship was unaware of the escapees, working diligently to get the scheduled shipment out. The ship itself was rather large and looked fairly new. It was covered in Fire Nation insignia including the nation's flag that flapped viciously in the wind.

Hakoda observed the group with care. Suki could tell he was counting the people. When he was finished he turned back to the group and spoke in a low voice, "From what I can tell there's a crew of about two dozen guys and only a couple of guards. The rest of the patrol must have joined the others to take care of the riot." They could still hear the riot from the other side of the lake.

"Looks like it," Chit Sang chimed in, "See that outcropping over there?" He pointed to a ledge that jutted out dramatically along the ledge. Hakoda nodded in response and Chit Sang continued, "We can go down on the other side- use it for cover. We can get within twenty feet before they have any chance of noticing us."

Hakoda studied the outcropping that Chit Sang had designated and after a moment nodded in agreement. "That will do." Hakoda then looked to the group. "Chit Sang and I will take out the remaining guards first and you guy's focus on the crew. They're untrained fighters, should be easy. Chit Sang and I will join you once we take out the guards. Focus on getting the men off the ship, no need to go for the kill, we only need to control of the ship. Got it?"

The group nodded in agreement except for Zuko who simply stared at the dock workers with an expressionless face. Suki couldn't help but wonder what he must be thinking as they planned to attack his own countrymen. From what little Suki could tell it didn't seem to be sitting to well with the prince.

"All right, let's go," Hakoda said quietly as he motioned for Chit Sang and his men to take up the lead towards the outcropping. Hakoda turned back to Zuko and Suki and whispered, "You two stick together, okay?"

Suki nodded and in her peripheral saw Zuko do the same. Satisfied with the response, Hakoda let Zuko move up but he gently held Suki back and said in a low voice, "He's incredibly weak, please keep him safe."

Suki didn't feel quite comfortable with the responsibility, especially with who it was concerning. But the look on Hakoda's face expressed how much he cared for the prince, and she was a Kyoshi Warrior. Protecting people was her job. Right now wasn't the time for personal grudges. "Okay."

Hakoda nodded and then hurried to pass the other men catching up to Chit Sang who was up at the front. Suki caught up with Zuko and kept to the rear of the party.

The way down the hill was rough since they had to go off the path, but they managed to keep the noise to a minimum. Tiny pebbles tumbled down the side but they were far enough to the side that no one would notice. Suki simply focused on keeping one foot in front of the other and choosing stepping spots that were solid.

Halfway down the hill Zuko slipped in front of her and before she could even think about what she was doing, Suki caught him as he fell backward. There was an awkward moment as Suki held him up from the ground. _He's so light_, Suki thought in surprise.

"Sorry," Zuko muttered as he scrambled onto his feet.

"It's okay," Suki replied after she helped him gain his footing. Despite her agreement with Hakoda, She was surprised at herself, catching someone from a fall that she considered an enemy. There was no stopping the reflex of a fighter.

"Thanks," Zuko said without looking back. It was clear from his body language that he felt uncomfortable about being caught like that. Suki couldn't help remembering the feel of his body in those brief moments. He was so incredibly thin that she could easily feel the bones in his body. It was highly unpleasant and so she did not blame him for being embarrassed about the fall.

Suki followed the group the rest of the way down the hill in silence. When they got there Hakoda looked at his fellow prisoners and signaled them to remain silent. He then followed Chit Sang out into the open. The guards were preoccupied and did not see Hakoda and Chit Sang until they were right on top of them. With the element of surprise they were taken down easily by a few well placed punches.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" one of the shipmates yelled to alert the others of the danger. Chit Sang was on him quickly and managed to deliver a blunt blow that knocked him unconscious immediately.

Now that the whole crew of the ship was aware of them, Chit Sang's cronies ran forth and chaos ensued. Zuko stayed near Suki, just as Hakoda told him to. It was a little unnerving to have the prince so close to her, but it couldn't be helped. He wasn't in the position to fight on his own.

Suki followed the lead of the others and helped to incapacitate the crew members. They weren't trained to fight so it didn't take much effort to neutralize then and it wasn't long before they were onto the ship itself. Surprisingly, Zuko was also of some assistance, managing to throw people off balance with his firebending. The Kyoshi Warrior could tell it was not nearly as strong as it used to be but it was enough to assist Suki and the others in taking down the crew.

Suki was in battle mode, calm and focused. She took down a crew member with a quick jab to his stomach followed by a roundhouse kick to legs. When she moved on to the next he already was taken off guard by a quick fire blast from behind. She didn't have to look back to know Zuko was there supporting her. A simple punch to the face incapacitated the burned crewman. When she turned to her left she saw a gang member repeatedly beating a crewman with a blunt wooden object. The man's face was bloody beyond recognition as he lay on the deck completely unresponsive.

"Hey!" Suki screamed, "That's enough!"

The prisoner- who bore a scar across his eye and was missing some of his front teeth- looked up and simply laugh at her, "Whatever, pretty lady."

Suki felt nauseous at the look in his eye, but at least he stopped beating the man. Suki spared a look at the battered crewman and retched uncontrollably. The man was clearly dead, his skull was cracked open and brain matter was on the ship's deck. She quickly looked away and steeled herself to fight another crewman.

The fight was over almost as soon as it started. What the crew had in numbers lacked in ability and soon most of them were on the ground. Whether they were dead or simply injured, the gang began to toss them overboard.

"WATCHOUT, ARCHER!" someone cried and before Suki could even turn around to look she felt Zuko shove her to the side. In that moment time seemed to stand still as she peered over and saw an arrow protruding from Zuko's shoulder. The prince appeared to sway for a moment before crumbling to the floor. Suki managed to catch him as he fell and guided him to the deck slowly.

Zuko was alive and conscious but he didn't say anything, his face simply grimaced in the obvious pain he felt. "Hey, you're going to be okay," Suki said as she looked at the wound. The arrow was lodged into his shoulder, safely away from any vital organs. All indications showed it was nonfatal. "It's not that bad."

Zuko nodded faintly as Suki looked around at the state of things. All the crew had been taken down and they were being forced off the ship. She could hear Chit Sang ordering his gang to set sail and make sure there were no crew members hiding on the ship. The archer who had taken shot Zuko with the arrow was dead from what Suki could tell and his body was being shoved over the edge. He had the armor of a guard. So they were wrong, there had been three guards and not two on the ship.

Suki desperately looked around to see where Hakoda was and it didn't take her long to find him at the helm. They had already started to pull away from the shore leaving behind a wreckage of dead and injured crew behind.

Suki looked back down at Zuko. His face was completely pale and he was losing his grip with consciousness fast. The wound wasn't bleeding too much but she could only imagine how the badly it had shocked the already weakened body. She had to get that arrow out him fast before it got infected. She knew a little bit about healing but not enough. She couldn't do this alone.

"Hakoda!" she cried as she looked desperately up at him. "I need help!"

Hakoda looked down at Suki and then at Zuko, his eyes widening in shock when he noticed the arrow protruding from Zuko's shoulder. "Take the wheel," Hakoda ordered Chit Sang who was barking orders himself at the other prisoners.

Without waiting for Chit Sang to acknowledge him, Hakoda dashed over to where Suki was holding Zuko and bent over to get a better look.

"Damnit," Hakoda cursed as he took a close look at the wound. "How did this happen?"

Suki looked up at Hakoda and into his stern eyes, and she knew that look. _I told you to protect him. _

"He pushed me out of the way. I didn't even see it coming." Suki responded flustered. "He saved me."

Hakoda's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly regained his composure. "Well we need to get this arrow out." Hakoda turned to Zuko. "Zuko, I'm going to remove the arrow, okay?"

Zuko nodded weakly in response. Hakoda wasted no time in ripping a long strip of fabric from his prison tunic. He then gave it to Suki. "Once I pull the arrow out put this on the wound and apply as much pressure as you can."

Suki nodded with understanding and so Hakoda turned back to Zuko. "Ready"

"Yes." The response was barely above a whisper, but they both heard it.

"Alright," Hakoda replied as he gripped the arrow near the tip with his right hand and braced his other on Zuko's shoulder. "One…two…three!"

Zuko's body jerked as he screamed in pain, the bloody arrow leaving a jagged hole in his tender body and Suki wasted no time employing the makeshift bandage, applying as much pressure as she could. Zuko moaned deeply in pain before finally passing out completely.

"He's lucky, the arrow didn't hit anything important," Hakoda said as he added his own pressure to the wound on top of Suki's.

"We should get him off the deck," Suki replied.

"Yeah. Keep pressure on it while I lift him."

"Okay."

Hakoda took his hands off of Suki's and then slipped them under Zuko's knees and chest. Hakoda slowly lifted the injured boy with care. Suki stood up with them as she kept pressure on the wound. She followed Hakoda's lead as he took them below the decks. It didn't take long for them to find a small cabin with a bed. The room only had a couple other furnishings including a table and chair; otherwise it was rather plain and depressing.

Once inside Hakoda tenderly placed him on the bed and then once again added his own pressure to the wound. After a while it looked as if the blood flow was decreasing so Hakoda turned to Suki. "Go find some water."

Suki obeyed immediately, meanwhile she heard Hakoda begin ripping up some of the sheets into long strips. Suki ran down the hall looking in each room to see if there was any fresh water. She eventually found the cargo hold along with the water supply and managed to find a bowl with which she could bring to Hakoda.

Once she returned, Hakoda took one of his sheet bandages and dipped it into the water. He began to clean the wound which was bleeding only minimally. Once he finished this he began to wrap the other makeshift bandages tightly around the wound. Red blotches seeped onto the fabric as Hakoda wrapped them, but once he finished there were only a couple of small spots.

Hakoda regarded Suki once he had completed dressing Zuko's wound. "I have to go take care of things up above…"

Suki heard the unasked question. "That's fine. I'll watch over him."

Hakoda gave a faint smile of appreciation. "Thank you. Let me know when he wakes up?"

Suki nodded and without another word, Hakoda hurried back up to the deck.

With Hakoda gone, Suki sat down near the bed and watched Zuko as he slept. Even asleep the prince looked restless. He seemed to twitch every now and then and his face didn't want to let go of that slight grimace of pain. Suki watched him rest with a complex mix of curiosity, confusion, and concern. The last part of which only served to confuse her even more.

Simply put, she didn't know what to make of the prince. What she remembered and what she saw before her were completely different. None of this was making any sense and yet here she was- watching over her enemy. Questions about how he came to be this way flooded her mind, but the most prominent was why. _Why did he save her? _Suki scoffed as she thought of what the other villagers would think if they knew the Fire Prince who had done so much damage to their cherished home had actually saved the life of one their beloved daughters. It was simply inconceivable and yet it was a fact.

Another thing that completely puzzled her was the concern Hakoda had for this boy. He looked about ready to kill when he saw what had happened to Zuko. Suki was no expert, but she knew a Water Tribe man when she saw one. Why was this man from the Water Tribe so protective of the prince of the Fire Nation? If he was from the South Pole like Suki suspected then he had every reason to despise Zuko. And yet here he was comforting the boy and trying to save him.

It just didn't make any sense.

Add onto this mess the whole situation with the escape and the other prisoners and Suki's head just hurt. By some astounding feat she had managed to find the man on the ledge and joined the escape attempt she was sure in progress. After running to the point of exhaustion, she got onto the gondola only to find the man was joined by whole gang of hardened prisoners. It was enough to make Suki extremely nervous but she kept her calm since she was already in over her head.

The way the other prisoners leered at her made the Kyoshi Warrior made her instinct to flee even stronger. They were a rough bunch with grizzled features and prison tattoos. It had obviously been a while since they had known a woman and Suki knew she wasn't safe. Sure, she was confident she could handle any one of them, but not all at once. She could only hope that Hakoda's protection would keep her out of harms way. The men seemed to listen to him. Well, most of the time. The fact of the matter was that she was not in a good situation and she swore to herself that she would be gone given the first chance she got to get off this ship.

Suki sat in the rickety old chair, completely exhausted but too nervous to sleep. She sat there in silence and simply watched and waited.

oOoOo

Pain. Even unconscious he felt it. It always seemed to reach into the depths of his soul and this time was no different. It was almost as if he never knew what it was like to be without pain. Zuko's sleep was dreamless but he was still partially aware of the pain he felt and soon he became aware of something else. The bed was rocking. No. The _ship_ was rocking. Zuko knew the familiar feeling of a ship on open waters. His heart almost burst with hope at the realization. Was he back on his boat? Were the last few months just a horrible nightmare?

Zuko's fleeting hope was abolished as soon as his eyes flew open. This was not his cabin. The walls were missing the ever present Fire Nation insignias and tell-tell scorch marks of a lost temper. This was not his ship. The waves didn't demand the attention of this larger boat as it did with his tiny steamer. And then everything came rushing back to him. _The escape_. He was on the cargo ship with Hakoda and the other prisoners.

With a groan, Zuko tried to sit upright and found himself gasping for breath from the sudden jolt of excruciating pain in his shoulder. It was then that Zuko's body kindly reminded him that he had recently been shot with an arrow.

"Don't hurt yourself," a young female voice called to him.

Zuko nearly jumped in surprise but instead regarded the young woman sternly. He immediately recognized her as the prisoner that had crashed their escape plan and somehow became his partner in all this.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko said. His voice was horribly hoarse and he wished he had some water.

Suki seemed to read his mind as she poured some water into a small cup. "Hakoda asked me to watch you, make sure you're okay."

Zuko accepted the cup and drank it in one quick gulp while muttering "Thanks." He grimaced as the movement caused a burst of stabbing pain but at least his throat didn't feel so dry anymore. "How long have I been out of it? And where is Hakoda?"

"A few hours. Hakoda is upstairs- managing the ship." Suki replied as she stood from her chair. "Actually he wanted me to tell you when woke up. I'll be right back."

Zuko lay back on the bed with an exhausted sigh as Suki dashed out of the room. Figures he managed to get himself shot by an arrow. What was even worse was he had brought it upon himself. Why did he move to save that girl? He didn't know her. To be completely honest, she was nothing to him. And yet he had pushed her out of the way and instead he got shot with the arrow. Why had he done that? Maybe because they were working together and Zuko knew he had no chance if she got shot?

Yes, that was it. He needed her so he had to save her. It was only his sluggish reflexes from being in prison that caused him to get shot instead. If he was in better shape, he could have saved her and avoided the arrow. _Simple enough_, Zuko thought to himself as he pointedly ignored the tiny voice in the back of his mind that was stubbornly yelling _bullshit._

It didn't take long for Suki to return with Hakoda and Zuko was grateful to not only see the only man on this ship he trusted, but to silence his nagging thoughts for the time being.

"Hey," Hakoda said as he went over to the bed and sat on the wooden chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got shot with an arrow," Zuko replied honestly.

Hakoda let out a soft chuckle. "Sure, but at least it wasn't too bad. I managed to get the arrow out and clean the wound. You'll be okay."

Zuko nodded and quickly changed the subject. He didn't want to talk about himself. He'd done enough of that back in the prison. There were more important things to discuss. "Where are we headed?"

"North." Hakoda replied solemnly. "We're going North."

"North?" Zuko said with a tinge of surprise in his voice. "Shouldn't we be heading east to the Earth Kingdom?"

"No. The Fire Nation will expect us to go that way. It's better to head north."

"But there's nothing up there except the Western Air Temple."

"I know, don't worry about it. I have a plan."

"Mind telling me what that is?" Zuko replied slightly frustrated. Despite the pain, Zuko's mind was still sharp and perceptive. This man was keeping something from him, Zuko knew for sure. But what could it be?

Hakoda glanced over at Suki who was listening intently to their conversation. With a sigh Hakoda responded in voice that was barely above a whisper. "We're going to meet up with my children...and the Avatar."

oOoOo

A/N – So I had a bit of writer's block with this one, because I'm not that great at action scenes. But I try! Obviously I managed to get through it. :D FYI, this is the first time I'll be posting a chapter where I have already begun the next chapter. ^_^

Thanks, as always, to RueBroadway for beta reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

oOoOo

"_I love you more than anything. You and your brother are my entire world. I thought about you every day I was gone, and every night when I went to sleep. I would lay awake missing you so much, it would ache." Hakoda, The Awakening, Season 3, Episode 1_

oOoOo

Zuko wasn't sure if he had heard Hakoda correctly. He was in a tremendous amount of pain from the fresh wound, but he knew was still very lucid despite it. Was Hakoda playing some stupid joke on him? Did he really mean it when he said they were going to the meet up with the Avatar? How would this man know the Avatar? And wasn't the airbender dead? He was just about to inquire when he was preempted by a female voice.

"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Suki from the other end of the room, which startled Zuko out of his already very startled thoughts. "I should have seen it! You're Sokka and Katara's father!"

Now it was Hakoda's turn to be shocked along with Zuko as he looked at the girl with wide eyes. "You know my children?"

_WHAT? _This man was the father of the Avatar's friends? Zuko was simply too shocked to even speak. How was this possible? Of all the Water Tribe men Zuko could have befriended it was the father of the siblings he had hunted, fought against, and tried to use to capture the Avatar! Zuko felt a wave of guilt overwhelm his senses causing his ears to ring and vision to blur. Zuko had to wonder. Did Hakoda know his relationship with his children and the avatar? If he knew, why was he helping him? And if he didn't, what would he do when he found out?

If Hakoda was aware of Zuko's inner conflict, he did not show it and simply focused his attention on Suki as she explained.

"Yes," Suki replied excitedly. "I met them this past summer as they were traveling with the Avatar."

_Who is this girl? _Zuko wondered desperately, unable to fully comprehend this recent turn events.

"Well," Hakoda replied with kind smile, "what a welcome surprise."

Suki smiled in return but then glanced at Zuko and frowned. "But why are you taking him to Avatar? Don't you know they're enemies?"

Zuko silently stared at the opposite wall, unable to respond- and not wanting to either. He didn't know what to say, what he _could_ say. It was essentially true and any refusal or affirmation of that fact was useless.

"Of course they are," Hakoda responded plainly.

"So you know why you can't bring him to the Avatar!"

"It doesn't matter," Zuko replied in a low voice, "The Avatar is dead." He was surprised at himself for finally speaking, but he had to stop this argument. It was too much for him, for his mind in it's current state.

"That's not true!" Suki cried in response. "Unless you're saying you killed him!"

"I did not—"

"Hey, Stop it!" Hakoda commanded sternly. "Now is not the time for this." He then turned and looked to Suki. "Why don't you wait outside, I need to talk to Zuko alone. I'll explain things to you afterward, okay?"

Suki glared angrily at Zuko but conceded. It was clear she respected Hakoda and that was the only reason she chose to do what he asked. "Fine." Without any further hesitation she walked out of the room, nearly slamming the door.

Hakoda sighed and turned back to Zuko, looking confused. "Did you do anything to her I should know about?"

"Except save her life?" Zuko replied bitterly. "I have no idea." Zuko honestly did not understand why her attitude towards him turned so suddenly, but it was really annoying and not anything he particularly wanted to deal with. Clearly she knew something of the conflict between himself and the Avatar, yet she seemed perfectly fine earlier. It did not make any sense. This only served to confirm his long held belief that women themselves made no sense.

Hakoda scratched his head in confusion. "Alright, well, we'll figure it out later. Right now I want to talk to you about the Avatar- and I can assure you he is _not_ dead."

Zuko sighed, "Of course he isn't."

Hakoda looked a bit taken aback by that statement. "What do you mean?"

"It means my sister lied to me…again." Zuko should have known better than to believe anything that came from that twisted girl's mouth.

"Maybe not," Hakoda replied plainly "She wounded him pretty badly, he was out for weeks. We let the world think he was dead, so your sister probably did think he was dead when she told you."

"Maybe," Zuko said quietly. He doubted that his sister, perfect and proud as she was, would not know that she had failed in killing Avatar. However, at this point it didn't matter. He knew Hakoda was about to tell him something really important so he did not press the detail.

"Anyway," Hakoda said, looking Zuko in the eye. "Sokka told me all about you."

So he did know. Zuko felt cold, suddenly aware of the chill of the damp quarters, and goose bumps lined his arms. He refused to meet Hakoda's gaze. He soon felt a calloused hand rest over his own right. The touch was unexpected and caused him to twitch very slightly, though he was sure Hakoda felt it.

After a few moments of silence, Zuko finally spoke. "So that's how you knew so much about me without me telling you."

"Yes." Hakoda replied.

"Why would you help me, if you knew I had tried to harm your children?" Zuko asked hesitantly as he finally met the warm icy blue of Hakoda's eyes- if it made any sense at all.

"Because when you've seen the world as I have, you know the difference between evil intention and perceived necessity. Would you have attacked my village if it were not for the Avatar?"

Zuko looked at Hakoda for a long moment before answering. "No." There was another moment of meaningful silence before Zuko added, "And you already knew the answer to that question."

"I did," Hakoda replied. He let go of Zuko's hand to pour himself a cup of water. After taking a long sip, he began his explanation. "It was clear to me from the beginning that you were thrown into circumstances out of your control, and I cannot fault you for that. To be perfectly honest, I felt pity for you when I found you sick in that cell. But that pity turned into genuine concern the more I got to know you."

Zuko found himself completely unable to respond, unable to comprehend the kindness, generosity and understanding of this one man who had every reason to hate him. There was only one other person in his life that had ever shown him genuine concern, and that was his uncle. His heart suddenly ached as he thought about his Uncle Iroh who must be locked away in another prison. Zuko had been completely lost once he and his uncle had been separated and yet somehow this Water Tribe man had come along and given him hope.

"I know this is a lot to think about," Hakoda continued, "but I think you're a good person deep down. That's why I decided to help you, and why I decided to take you along with me- even if it means taking you to the Avatar and my children."

"You're not worried that I would try to capture the avatar?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

"Do you honestly think it would do you any good at this point?"

Zuko was taken aback by the question, but he knew the truth and that Hakoda was right no matter how painful it was to admit. "No...it wouldn't."

"That's why you need to stay with me. Once your father learns of your escape he will have you hunted down and on your own you wouldn't make it. You'll be safe with me."

"Yeah, but won't you're children object?"

"I'm their father," Hakoda simply replied. "They will listen to me."

Zuko found himself not needing to ask how Aang would react, he already knew as he remembered that one time he fought with the Avatar to get him away from Admiral Zhao. _If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?_ Zuko pushed that thought from his mind as focused on the conversation at hand. "And how do you know where they are?" Zuko asked, still unsure of what to make of all of this.

"Before I was put in this prison, that's where I was told they would go. There's a chance they are still there, and if not I'm still certain I can find them."

"You were told?" Zuko said, shocked.

"Aang is only 11, no matter how hard he tries to be wise." Hakoda said slightly amused, a hint of tenderness colored his tone. "He didn't think. And it doesn't matter. They were going to torture me anyway and I was never going to say anything whether I knew or not."

Zuko couldn't help but feel a sudden wave of jealousy. This was what it was like to have a father who cared about his children. Zuko knew without a doubt that his own father would never sacrifice himself so completely for Zuko's sake. And Zuko didn't know what was worse, that his father would never try to save him or that he knew it was a pure incontestable fact about his father. "You really love your children."

Hakoda was silent, unsure of how to respond to the Prince's statement, but eventually found his words. "It's not just about my children; it's about the war too."

Zuko sensed a dodge there as if the Water Tribe warrior knew the sentiment behind his statement. Zuko gladly followed Hakoda's change of topic and asked another question that had been nagging him since he met the man. "What exactly did you do to end up in prison?"

"Well," Hakoda hesitated slightly, "I might have led an attack on the Fire Nation."

Zuko's eyes widen in surprise. He couldn't help the feeling of fear as he thought of his home city in ruin. Despite everything that had happened to him, his home was still his home and he couldn't stand the thought of someone invading it.

"Of course, we failed and that's why I ended up in prison," Hakoda added.

"Why did you do that? You must have known you would fail!" Zuko exclaimed, a bit of relief for his home and fear for the brave man mixing in his words.

"There was always the possibility. It was a good plan. Unfortunately the Fire Nation got wind of it and everything went downhill. Either way, it's not important compared to what's happening right now."

"What _is_ happening right now?" Zuko replied helplessly. "I don't even know anymore!"

"We're escaping, that part still hasn't changed and we're not out of the woods yet." Hakoda sighed as he tried to think of what to say next. "I-I know this isn't what you expected, but I honestly wasn't sure how you would react to this information in the prison so I decided to wait. But I want you to know that I'm not asking you to do anything, I'm just letting you know what the next step is."

"What is the next step, exactly?"

"We need to get far enough away from the Boiling Rock and then separate ourselves from Chit Sang and his crew."

Zuko nodded. This was something he could deal with, not the uncertain circumstance of seeing the Avatar again after everything that had happened. He simply did not want to think about it anymore.

"Good," Hakoda replied as he stood up from his chair. "Now I want you to get some rest, that wound is not life threatening but it's still pretty bad. I'm going to go talk to Suki."

Zuko nodded once more before replying in a low voice, "Thank you."

"I'm sorry?" Hakoda had begun to exit the cabin and clearly had not heard Zuko speak.

"Thank you," Zuko repeated a little louder and added, "For everything." Zuko's hand absently rubbed the inside of his arms where the faint scratches still remained.

"You're welcome," Hakoda replied softly. The words hung in the air before Hakoda finally turned back around and left the room.

Zuko stared at the door in silence. His shoulder was throbbing in pain and he felt utterly exhausted and yet at the same time he felt a wonderful thrill course through his body. For the first time in a long time the door was not locked.

oOoOo

Suki cursed herself for being a fool. It was very important for her not to be ruled by her emotions but she let them get the better of herself. She just couldn't believe that Hakoda was considering bringing Zuko to the Avatar. This whole thing was getting even more confusing which only caused her to develop a severe headache.

Suki rubbed her temples as she tried to calm herself down. She needed to calm down. She needed to think and a loud growl in her stomach informed her that she also needed to eat. All the adrenaline from the escape attempt had masked her hunger but now it was out in full force with audible effects.

With a heavy sigh she made her way to the kitchen and started rummaging around. She was able to find a basket of apples and happily bit into it. It wasn't as juicy as she normally preferred, but food was food and she had not had a good meal since she was captured. It was certainly time to remedy that that.

Suki began searching through the supplies before finding some dried meat and fairly fresh vegetables. A little more searching uncovered a large bag of rice. After finding all the ingredients she could she settled on making a beef stew since she could make enough for everyone. Maybe, just maybe, if she cooked dinner the other male prisoners would leave her alone. It was wistful thinking, but at least she knew she would definitely be in trouble if she didn't make enough for everyone. Besides, cooking always calmed her down. She could really use some calming down.

Now all she needed to get started was a fire. Suki began looking around for some flint rocks to get a fire started but after searching for a solid ten minutes she realized how stupid she had been. Of course there were no flints; this was a Fire Nation vessel after all. Suki found herself cursing once more. How in the world was she supposed to get a fire going without flint?

"Hello, pretty lady," a voice said from the corner of the room.

Suki froze immediately as she recognized the voice of the man who had savagely beaten the crewman beyond recognition. She turned around slowly and sure enough she was correct. It was the same scarred and toothless man, with that same leering gaze.

"Hi," Suki said with a slight tinge of nervousness to her voice. She still did not like the look in his eye-the sickly sweet gaze of his on her body and what he must have imagined it looked like without the prison garb. It made her completely uneasy.

"Are ya gonna cook something up for us?" the man asked as he entered the kitchen.

Suki really did not want to talk to this man but she didn't think ignoring him would be any safer. "Yeah, I-um-I'm going to make some stew."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Suki replied as she avoided eye contact. Every fiber of her being wanted this man to leave her be. She could feel a chill across her skin as the result of his intense stare. Why was he looking at her like that? Why won't he just leave?

"You don't have no fire going," He said with a smile as he walked over to the fireplace.

"No, I don't."

"You're not a Firebender, are ya?"

"No I'm not."

The strange man laughed in response, "Because you're an Earth Kingdom bitch."

Suki did not know what to make of that statement but she felt herself brace for an attack. This man was not going to take her by surprise.

His laughing continued until finally he raised his hand and a fiery ball formed in his hand. Suki almost flinched but she quickly realized that he was aiming for the fireplace and not at her. Once the fireplace was lit, he looked up at her with his toothless grin, "Hope it's a good stew."

Suki had no idea how to respond to this weird man but luckily they were interrupted before she even got the chance by a gentle cough from the doorway. Suki looked over to see Hakoda standing there with a disapproving glare at the scarred criminal. "Everything ok?"

The man grinned even wider. "Sure is, the pretty lady is going to make some stew," he announced jovially.

"Well, why don't you head upstairs and help with the sailing so the lady can get to work making the stew," Hakoda replied sternly.

"Of course, of course…" The creepy man immediately began to leave but not before turning to give Suki a little wink as he left. The gesture made Suki shudder involuntarily as the man disappeared down the hallway. Once he was gone she looked back up at Hakoda with appreciation.

"Did he bother you?" He asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Kind of," Suki replied honestly. "He called me a bitch and yet he started the fire. He creeps me out."

"Yeah," Hakoda looked down the hall with disgust. "I had to deal with that one a lot in prison. He doesn't seem to be all there sometimes," Hakoda then turned his eyes back on Suki, "You need to be careful around these guys. I don't trust them."

"I know," Suki said as she began to poor water into the large pot and placed it above the fire. "Believe me, I know."

"Hopefully we won't be stuck with them for too much longer. In the meantime we've got to watch ourselves" Hakoda said as he took a seat near the counter and looked around at the ingredients she had gathered. "So you really are making stew? That sounds delicious."

"Well, there's not much else I can make with what I've got," Suki said plainly.

"Still, I'm sure it's better than the slop at the prison."

Suki smiled slightly; she had to agree with that. "So, you talked things over with Zuko." She kept her voice surprisingly even as she spoke.

Hakoda sighed, "I did."

"…And?" Suki began grabbed some carrots and began chopping them up into edible peices, not meeting Hakoda in the eye.

"Why don't you tell me what got you so worked up back there," Hakoda replied, obviously dodging the question.

"It's none of your business," Suki stated with annoyance as her chopping got slightly louder.

"I know," Hakoda replied with a sigh, "But I was hoping you would tell me anyway so there's no conflict or tension between the three of us, given that we need to work together against a bunch of criminals."

Suki stopped chopping and looked up at the perceptive tribesmen who met her gaze with his own. He waited silently for her to respond.

She didn't really want to talk about it. Despite being Sokka's father, she didn't know this man and so she was uneasy about opening up. Yet at the same time, he was right. He needed to know what was going on because right now the three of them had to depend on each other. It was not a desirable situation, but that's the way it was. She had to work with it, whether she liked it or not. "There's not much to tell. He came to my village chasing after the Avatar and ended up burning it down."

Hakoda remained silent for a few more moments after she responded, seemingly considering his next words. "I see. Zuko doesn't remember doing that."

"So!" Suki snapped back. "That doesn't change what he did!"

"That's not what I meant."

"Well what did you mean?"

"I mean," Hakoda said carefully, "maybe you need to tell him so he does know."

"What good would that do?"

"He can't apologize if he doesn't know what he did to you and your village."

Suki scoffed. "As if he would-"

"You never know."

"Obviously," Suki said as she placed the knife down on the counter with a slam, her voice rising in anger "You have no idea what he was like before now. Yeah, he looks pretty fucked up because of being in prison but he was pretty nasty before then. He ruthlessly hunted down the Avatar and didn't give a shit about who he hurt. Almost my entire village was destroyed with winter right around the corner!"

"And yet he saved your life," Hakoda replied softly, unaffected by Suki's furious tone.

Suki opened her mouth to respond but no words came. He was right. The arrogant and ruthless prince who had burned down her village had also saved her life. There was no denying that. Suki put her hands to her face and breathed in deeply. It was all still too much to take in, the last six hours were just completely insane and she had no idea what to make of it all. "You're right," she finally said, "you're right."

"I'm not excusing what he did," Hakoda continued in that soft and somewhat consoling tone, "but if you're going to be angry with him you need to tell him what he did."

"I guess so."

"Take your time; he still needs his rest right now. But don't let this fester, okay?"

Suki nodded. "Okay."

"Good," Hakoda responded as a smile returned to his face, "No how about I help you with this stew?"

"That would be nice," Suki replied, grateful for the company, not wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

oOoOo

A/N - So mostly character interaction here, I needed a break from all the action. Anyway, this story is definitely going to go longer than originally intended and I hope to have Chapter 9 up really soon.

Also, I can't believe this fic already has over 60 reviews and that they are so overwhelmingly positive. Thanks, everyone. It's really encouraging to see that people enjoy what I'm putting out there.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

oOoOo

"_Hey you. You're lucky I didn't rat you out. But my generosity comes with a price. I know you're planning another escape attempt and I want in." - Chit Sang, The Boiling Rock Part 2, Season 3, Episode 15_

oOoOo

Hakoda sat in the captain's room as he looked over the map and went over some calculations. If the winds kept their strength up they could be near the Western Air temple by tomorrow. They were certainly making good time and Chit Sang wasn't giving him too much grief for going north instead of east.

With a heavy sigh, Hakoda rested his face in his hands and then began to rub his temples. He was exhausted. He barely had any sleep between yesterday's escape and all the things he had to worry about between Zuko and Suki's issues and keeping Chit Sang and his cronies in line. This certainly was not the ideal situation but it was what he had to work with.

Suki, the poor girl, had kept herself away from the other men by mostly staying around Hakoda or watching over Zuko. When they were making the stew they had talked more, which gave Hakoda the chance to get to know the mysterious girl a little better. It also gave time for them to discuss what was going on with Zuko and the gang of criminals. She was certainly an intelligent young lady and a surprisingly good cook. For the first time in weeks he had finally had a good meal.

Meanwhile Zuko spent the rest of the day sleeping and Hakoda couldn't blame him. He looked a mess and he was sure that arrow wound did nothing to help his already dismal state. Hakoda managed to wake the boy to try and get some stew in him but he went back to sleep as soon as he was done. Hakoda found himself just a little jealous of all the sleep Zuko had been getting, but it couldn't be helped. There was work to be done.

A loud bang on the door jolted Hakoda from his thoughts. He leaned back and sat upright before speaking. "Come in." Hakoda wasn't surprised to see Chit Sang walk through the door.

"There you are, was wondering where you got to." Chit Sang said casually as he sat down opposite of the map table. "How are we doing?"

Hakoda smiled slightly. Chit Sang had been trying to figure out exactly where Hakoda wanted to go and why, but he refused to give Chit Sang a hint. He had instead given Chit Sang a general direction and he planned to depart a few miles from the Western Air Temple and get the rest of the way by foot. He didn't trust Chit Sang and his cronies any more than he had to. "The winds are good."

"Yes there are," Chit Sang agreed. "Would be nice to know where exactly those good winds are taking us though."

"I'm sure," Hakoda said as he rolled up the map. "But not necessary. Don't worry, when we get to my destination I will depart with Suki and Zuko. The ship will be all yours. We agreed that was the deal."

"I know, I know. Still a man can't help but wonder why you need to be so secretive."

"You're free to wonder."

Chit Sang let out his familiar guffaw. "Always serious, eh, Water Tribe?"

Hakoda looked Chit Sang in the eye without saying another word. He wasn't in the mood for Chit Sang's weird sense of humor.

"Guess so." Chit Sang stood up from his chair, his countenance becoming serious as well. "I'll keep going the direction you want to go because we owe you for getting us out of that place, but our generosity only goes so far…know what I'm sayin'?"

Hakoda nodded his ever so slightly. "I know exactly what you're saying."

"Good," Chit Sang's jovial smile returned. "Glad we're on the same page." Without waiting for a response, Chit Sang left the cabin leaving Hakoda alone in silence to wonder exactly what Chit Sang meant by his thinly veiled warning.

oOoOo

Zuko simply had had enough. After sleeping for more than a day he was restless. His shoulder still throbbed in pain and his body was incredibly weak but he couldn't get anymore sleep, even if he wanted it. After months of being locked up in a tiny cell, unable to go wherever he please, Zuko could not help that desperately wanted to take full advantage of his newfound freedom. It did not matter that the other criminals were on board, or how weak he felt from the injuries he suffered. Yesterday was the first time in months that he had seen the sun, and he ached to see it again.

Zuko pushed the sheets off and began to crawl out of the bed. His movements were painful and sluggish but he eventually managed to get on his feet- despite his need to lean on the nearby table for support.

"What are you doing?" he heard a familiar female voice cry from the doorway.

Zuko looked over to see Suki standing there with a shocked face and a tray of food. "I just wanted to get out of the room," Zuko replied honestly.

"But you can barely even stand!" Suki protested. She walked over to him and placed the food on the table, then attempted to get Zuko to go back into the bed. "Let's go. You can barely even stand."

"No, please!" Zuko put his hand up to stop her. "I just want to go outside. I _need_ to go outside.

"Let me ask Hakoda if it's okay," Suki quickly replied as she moved towards the door.

"I'm going outside whether Hakoda says I can or not," Zuko responded with a note of defiance in his voice.

Suki hesitated and looked Zuko in the eye. "Alright, fine. But let me help you, okay?"

Zuko didn't have the strength to argue that point and simply nodded. While leaning on Suki for support he was able to get to the upper deck slowly but surely. The steps proved to be a little tricky but Zuko was determined to go outside. It was embarrassing to need help to move about, but it was worth it to get out of that stuffy and confining room. After months of never seeing the sun he just wanted to bathe in its warming rays.

Once they were on the deck, Suki took him to a spot where some boxes where piled on the starboard side and had him sit there. "Stay here, okay? I'm going to bring you the food I left back in the room."

Zuko nodded and then quickly remembered to say thanks. Suki muttered a quick "You're welcome" before hurrying back below deck.

As soon as Suki was gone, Zuko turned his attention to the clear sky and open sea. The smell and taste of the seawater never felt so good. All those months of hating the sea and now he was so happy to once again be on board a ship sailing over the choppy waters. It was a warm day, and the sun was beating down on his skin. He swore he could feel his skin tingling as it soaked up the bright warmth of his element. Zuko was barely aware of the other people on deck who were going about their business. All he cared about was being outside and once again breathing in the fresh air that he had missed so much.

"I'm back," Suki announced, interrupting Zuko's reverie. She placed the tray beside him and then sat down on a box a few feet aware. "Hakoda said to make sure you eat."

Zuko cracked a tiny smile, "I'm sure he did." Zuko looked at the meal that Suki had brought. It consisted of some cheese, bread, and fruit. Nothing fancy, and yet it looked like possibly one of the best meals he could ever be offered. Without hesitation he picked up a plum and began to eat. He then looked over to Suki who was now staring out across the waters. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this girl. Her moods seemed to change almost instantaneously. She had backed him up in the escape and from what he could remember, helped save his life after he was shot with the arrow. But then when the topic of the Avatar came up she turned on him almost immediately, reminding both he and Hakoda of who he was-even though it'd been a non-issue before. Now here she was helping him up to the deck and making sure he ate. This girl was definitely more than a little confusing. Zuko also got the sense she wanted to tell him something, and Zuko had an idea of what exactly that might be.

"Can I ask you something?" Zuko finally said after taking a few more bites of his plum.

Suki turned her attention from the waters back to him with a look of disinterest. "Sure."

"Did I—Did I _do_ something to make you angry?" Zuko managed to say. It turned out to be a lot harder to ask than he initially thought. "I mean...you—you kind of snapped at me yesterday. And I was...Well I have no idea why."

Suki let out a heavy sigh as she diverted her attention to her feet and Zuko was suddenly struck by how fragile she looked. He knew she was a warrior from the moment he had met her. Her whole stature beamed that of a fighter. She was muscular, yet lean, and there was definitely some strength in those delicate features- despite being buried in the baggy and rusty red of prisoner clothing. And yet at this moment she suddenly seemed weak. It wasn't a huge chink in the armor, but just enough for Zuko to see.

"You burned down my village," Suki said after a few moments of silent.

His heart dropped to his stomach and Zuko found himself ashamed. It wasn't as if he was surprised at what he did. That seemed pretty typical given how he acted before his imprisonment. No, he was ashamed because he could tell this was a pretty significant thing that he had done and yet he couldn't place the event that she was talking about. You would think it was an event you could remember.

Suki seemed to sense that Zuko had no idea what she was talking about. He suspected he must have looked confused because after a moment of silence she continued explaining. "It was Kyoshi Island. You might recognize the Kyoshi warriors, you know, with the face paint to match Avatar Kyoshi."

Zuko's eyes widened as the memory came flooding back. It had only been a short time since the Avatar had finally come out from wherever it was he had been hiding and he tracked him down to Kyoshi Island. Zuko remembered how he had indiscriminately set fire to the village, only concerned about capturing the Avatar. That familiar sensation of guilt washed over him as he realized how that must have hurt the villagers there. Even if no one was physically hurt, the damage must have been great, it would take a lot of work to repair and winter had been right around the corner. It was careless, inconsiderate, and completely unforgivable what he had done to that village. He didn't understand how he could feel so guilty about something that never bothered him back when he had committed the crime. Zuko looked down, face flushed in shame. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Suki said, with a voice that clearly expressed surprise at what Zuko had said.

"I'm sorry," Zuko repeated, knowing that Suki deserved to hear it twice maybe even more. "I shouldn't have done that."

Suki stared at Zuko for a solid minute, eyes widened in shock as took in what must have been a completely unexpected apology. "That doesn't make it better," Suki said in a low voice once her shock wore off.

"No, it doesn't" Zuko agreed.

"But saving my life like you did yesterday," Suki paused as she considered her next words. "I never did thank you for that...so thank you."

Now it was Zuko's turn to be shocked; he never expected to be thanked. "Y-you're welcome."

Suki cocked her head slightly and continued to watch Zuko. It almost seemed as if she was studying him. It made him feel uneasy and he had no idea what to say next. "You're different and not just in how you look."

Zuko nodded, "I know."

"We're definitely not friends," Suki said, her voice steady and low. "But I guess we're not enemies either."

"I understand," Zuko replied. It was a truce of sorts and Zuko felt a little better knowing that this girl didn't want any conflict.

"Good," Suki stood up from the boxes and stretched her out her limbs. "I have some things to do, so enjoy your lunch."

Zuko watched the girl leave and head to the lower decks. The whole exchange was extremely uncomfortable, so it did not surprise him that once it was done Suki decided to run off. Despite the weirdness, it did leave him feeling a little better. For some reason, it felt like it mattered that Suki didn't hate him. It was a feeling he was completely unfamiliar with. For the longest time the only approval that ever mattered was that of his father. And now- now that he knew he would never gain that approval- he was all too aware of the people he had hurt for a goal that was never attainable in the first place. It made him feel lower than dirt and somehow being somewhat forgiven, even if not completely, was _something_.

Zuko let out a heavy breath before he resumed eating his lunch. He sat on the deck for at least an hour, savoring the food that he had been given. The other people on the deck were content with leaving him alone for which he was grateful. The fresh air and exposure to the sun seemed to rejuvenate his body. He figured the food also helped too. He didn't feel as weak as when he woke up earlier, however he still felt fairly tired.

By the time Zuko was ready to leave he noticed a faint and thin line on the horizon. His experience at sea helped him immediately recognize it as land fall. Zuko idly wondered if they would head for it, but even if they didn't he was simply grateful to be away from the prison no matter where they went.

Zuko looked around the ship and noticed that some of the other prisoners were preparing a small boat and attaching it to the rigging. Maybe they would go ashore to get some fresh food? While the food aboard was better than at the Boiling Rock, it would still be nice to have some fresh meat instead of the dried salted meat that was on board.

Zuko let out a long yawn, which he took as a signal that he should probably return to his bed. Slowly Zuko managed to stand up. He wasn't as shaky on his feet as he was earlier and felt confident enough to make it back to his room on his own. He made sure to keep his arm close to his chest so he didn't put too much stress on his injured his shoulder. He was making his way to the doorway below decks when an over sized arm suddenly appeared in front of him and blocked his access to the doorway. Zuko was startled at sudden appearance of Chit Sang and he looked up at the larger man with annoyance.

"What do you want?" Zuko said as he glared at Chit Sang, albeit with less venom than he was previously capable of.

"Oh, I just thought you might need some help down those stairs," Chit Sang said with a grin that did not reach his eyes. "We wouldn't want you hurting yourself, being the Prince and all..."

"I'll be fine," Zuko replied as he cringed slightly and silently wished this man would go away.

"Sure you will." Chit Sang immediately lifted Zuko off his feet without waiting for Zuko to respond. The sudden movement took Zuko completely off guard and causing him to gasp in pain from the way it jostled his shoulder.

"Put me down!" Zuko cried out, although his voice was low and strained from the overwhelming pain in his shoulder. Chit Sang simply ignored him and carried him down the stairs rather roughly.

"HE-!" Zuko tried to yell loud enough for Hakoda or Suki to hear but Chit Sang quickly covered Zuko's mouth his hand.

"Shut up," Chit Sang snarled.

Within seconds they were down by the cargo hold and Zuko was dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. He cried out in agony from the painful drop and barely registered anything that was going on around him. Tears welled in his eyes as he gasped for breath, however he didn't have to suffer for too long. He felt a sudden sharp blow against the back of his head before he mercifully passed out on the floor.

oOoOo

Suki was back in the kitchen. It was one of her favorite places to be when she wasn't watching over Zuko or talking with Hakoda. She quickly fell into the role of cook on their getaway ship and figured it probably earned at least an iota of respect from the men that would leer at her whenever she walked by. Hakoda had promised her that they would not stay on the ship any longer than necessary, but it couldn't quell the flee instinct that tingled in her spine every time she caught one of the other prisoners staring at her. The worst of all the criminals was Geming, the man with scarred face and missing teeth who she had encountered in the kitchen the other day. He had not talked to her since the encounter, but she often felt his gaze on her and it made the hair on her skin stand up every time she noticed it.

The kitchen served as a place where she normally could relax. The other criminals didn't bother her there since her encounter with Geming. Furthermore, it gave her a place to think. Whenever there was too much going on and she needed to settle down, she found doing something with her hands always made her feel better. And after the conversation she had with Zuko, she needed some time to think. She felt bad for leaving him on the deck on his own, yet she was sure he probably preferred it that way anyway.

Somehow, despite her apprehension, Suki had worked up the courage to tell Zuko what he had done. Of course it had also been the first time he was conscious long enough to even have a conversation with him. It certainly did not go as she expected. For one, he asked her what had been bothering her, unintentionally (or not) giving her an opening for her confession. Secondly, he _apologized_. That thought alone simply blew her mind. She had hoped that maybe telling him would make him feel bad, but she never expected it to elicit an actual apologetic response, at least not so quickly. His admission of guilt and sorrow made Suki realize that the prince truly had changed- and not in little ways but big complicated and innate ways. Suki wondered idly, as she began peeling a potato, whether they could become friends at some point. The thought seemed really weird and yet at the same time she knew deep down that she cared whether Zuko lived or died. She knew she wanted to make sure that he was getting better, especially after taking an arrow for her.

"Ouch!" A sharp stab of pain yanked her from her thoughts. Suki looked down to see she had accidentally sliced her finger with her knife. _Stupid, _Suki thought as she quickly put the finger in her mouth and sucked on the blood. It wasn't a really bad cut, but it would certainly be one of those annoying cuts that sting whenever she washed her hands and various things like that. She really hated those kinds of cuts.

Suki had just found a clean cloth to wrap around her finger when she heard a strange yelp coming from the hall. Suki couldn't tell what or who made the sound as it was cut off so quickly, but it sounded weird enough to prompt her to check it out. Suki carefully peered outside the hallway and almost gasped audibly as she saw Chit Sang holding Zuko in his arms with his hand covering Zuko's mouth. It was immediately clear that Zuko was in immense pain but Chit Sang seemed to barely notice as he hauled the young man towards the storage room.

Suki waited ten long seconds for Chit Sang to move down the hall and out of sight before she could rush, unnoticed, to Hakoda's cabin.

She barely got two feet before Geming, the scarred criminal, stepped into the hallway and blocked her path to Hakoda's cabin.

"Well, if it isn't the pretty lady," Geming said with a toothless smile. "What's got you in a hurry?"

Suki had held herself back since being thrown into a situation with men who threatened her safety. She knew she had a thin line of protection from Hakoda and if she was careful not to start anything then that wouldn't provoke the men. However it was clear from what she had seen Chit Sang doing with Zuko and the way Geming was sneering at her now that that line had been crossed. Now was not the time to hold to back.

Suki took a deep breath and dropped to the ground as her leg kicked out and knocked the feet right out from under Geming. He plummeted to the floor with a hard thump and gasp of pain. Once he was on the ground, Suki leaped above him and delivered two quick punches to his face, one to break his nose as payment for all those times he had made her uncomfortable and the second to knock him out cold. The blows had left his face bloody and her hand stung smartly, however she was satisfied with how quickly he was taken down and the prospect that he probably lost another tooth.

Wasting no more time, Suki resumed her dash to Hakoda's cabin and did not bother to knock. Hakoda was sitting at a table looking over some texts when he looked up to see Suki, an expression of surprise and curiosity clearly planted on his face.

"We're in troubled" Suki gasped "One of the criminals tried to attack me and Chit Sang has Zuko!"

"Shit!" Hakoda spat as he quickly jumped from his seat and grabbed a nearby weapon. It was obviously a Fire Nation sword, and Suki recognized it as the one taken from one of the dead guards Hakoda attacked yesterday during the escape attempt.

Sword in hand, Hakoda followed Suki back out into the hallway.

"Quick, Chit Sang took him to the cargo hold!" Suki announced as she lead him down the hall however it wasn't long before a group of three men appeared in the small space between them and the cargo hold.

"Get out of our way," Hakoda ordered in a low and stern voice.

"Hey now, Water Tribe," a familiar voice called from behind the criminals. "You know they don't answer to you." It was Chit Sang. One of the men moved aside to allow the vagrant by to face Hakoda and Suki. Suki's stomach sank as she noticed he was no longer carrying Zuko.

"What have you done with Zuko?" Suki demanded forcefully.

Chit Sang laughed. "Nothing he won't recover from."

"What's going on, Chit Sang?" Hakoda spoke severely as he glared at Chit Sang with firm eyes.

"Nothing you shouldn't have expected," Chit Sang replied, his face still smiling. If he was bothered by Hakoda's cold glare, he didn't seem to show it.

"We had a deal."

"Of course we did, but you decided to break it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Hakoda, don't play dumb. First the deal was to escape with just my men. But you don't bother to tell me about the prince until the last minute, which also ended up nearly fucking the whole thing up! Then you let this wench tag along and you demand that we don't touch her? Did you really think that you had that much control?"

"Chit Sang," Hakoda spat as he grit his teeth. "Listen to me-"

"No!" Chit Sang yelled, his face quickly changing into a frenzied anger. "You will fucking leave this ship or I will kill you right now."

"I'm not leaving without Zuko or Suki!"

Chit Sang suddenly reverted back to his cheery self, as if he were never angry to begin with. "I'm not a completely heartless bastard." Chit Sang's grin widened as he spoke. "In fact, I can be generous. You did come up with the escape plan that got us out, I think you deserve little token of my gratitude. Take the bitch with you, I don't care; but the prince? He stays with me."

"You know I can't let that happen." Hakoda's grip on his sword tightened.

"I don't think you have a choice in this matter." At those words Suki was suddenly aware of the three men coming up behind them. Suki was fairly confident of her abilities but even she knew they were badly outnumbered.

"Damnit, Chit Sang!" Hakoda snapped. Suki could tell that his firm hold on his anger was slipping. "You didn't even want to take Zuko along at first! What could you possibly want with him now?"

"For the most simple of reasons," Chit Sang replied. "Money of course. Once the Fire Lord finds out about this escape, we'll all have bounties on our head. However, the prince's will be the biggest by far"

Suki felt her heart sink at those words. No matter how much she may have hated the fact that he burned down her village, she had come to care about the prince and she certainly did not think he deserved to end up back in a place like the Boiling Rock.

"And just how do you intend to get that money with bounties on your head too?"

Chit Sang moved forward and place his hand on Hakoda's shoulder as if he was talking to a good friend. "Don't concern yourself with the details. The boy is no longer your concern. Now, you're going to head upstairs with the girl and get on the little boat we've prepared for you and you're going to row over to land and be grateful I haven't killed you were you stand right now."

Hakoda seemed to lack any response to that. Suki sensed he was taking stock of the situation, calculating their odds of surviving a fight, six to two in close quarters. It wasn't good. They had both seen what these men could do when they were so inclined. Chit Sang was in control and there was no denying that. "I didn't take Zuko from that place just so you could put him back in," Hakoda finally said, his voice dripping with fury.

"Oh don't give me that, Water Tribe!" Chit Sang yelled in a mocking tone. "You're intentions weren't so pure. You took him out of the Boiling Rock so you could have him to further your own gains; I just beat to the punch."

"You have no idea-"

"Don't I?" Chit Sang laughed in disbelief, "You risk your life to save the son of the Fire Lord? _Come on_! I may look like an idiot, but I think you've figured out I'm far from it. I can see it now, Hakoda of the Water Tribe saves the dishonored, disinherited prince of the Fire Nation! If only he could maybe take out the Fire Lord and his daughter then he could conveniently place the grateful prince on the throne." Chit Sang paused meaningfully and matched Hakoda's intense gaze. When Hakoda said nothing, he continued. "See, you want to use him as much as I do. Only you think what you want him for is the greater good. Well sorry man, using is using. You don't fool me."

"It's not like that at all!" Hakoda finally replied.

"I don't care!" Chit Sang spat. "He's Fire Nation after all. He gets to get screwed by his own kind and you get to go back to fighting your never ending war. Unless of course, you want to die right here right now. Choice is yours." Chit Sang gestured to the stairwell as he finished his threat.

Suki's heart was pounding as she listened to the standoff between Chit Sang and Hakoda. She was prepared to fight if that was what Hakoda chose to do, but despite her concern for Zuko she couldn't help but wish Hakoda would accept Chit Sang's offer to leave without a fight. They were already outnumbered and there was still another criminal not accounted for. They were at a unique disadvantage.

Hakoda was silent as the offer to leave hung heavily in there air, until finally Hakoda spoke through gritted teeth, "Suki, let's go."

Suki let out a small sigh, unaware she had been holding her breath. Suki couldn't help but feel relieved at Hakoda's decision not to fight, at the same time her heart sank. They were leaving Zuko behind. She pushed that thought out of her head. It didn't matter how much she wanted to help the prince, there was nothing they could do in this situation. She knew that, despite how much her heart told her otherwise. She couldn't help but feel as if she was betraying Zuko in that moment.

Chit Sang grinned. "Good choice. Come with me." Chit Sang walked past the men behind him.

Hakoda refused to speak as he followed Chit Sang towards the stairwell and made his way to the upper deck. Suki followed closely behind and didn't need to look back to know the other men were following her up.

Chit Sang led them over to the starboard side of the vessel where one of the small rowboats had been prepared on the rigging to be set down into the sea. The sun was low in the sky; it was nearing sunset. Suki saw a few packages in the boat and a couple of paddles, but otherwise it was it was empty. Off in the distance, Suki could make out the thin outline of land that was at least a few miles away.

"There you go," Chit Sang said. "Get in."

Hakoda did not move for a moment as he looked Chit Sang in the eye. Suki thought he was going to say something but instead he turned towards her and then inclined his head to signal her to get in first. Suki wasted no climb and quickly climbed into the boat. As soon as she was settled on the boat Hakoda climbed in himself. Once seated, he turned back towards Chit Sang and continued to glare at him, his icy stare rivaling the heat of the angriest firebenders.

"Let them down, men" Chit Sang said, keeping his eyes locked with Hakoda's as well. The tension was so thick that Suki shuddered involuntarily. The men continued staring at each other until the ledge of the ship took Chit Sang out of their view.

Once they were halfway down the side of the boat, Suki turned towards Hakoda and dared to speak. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Hakoda said, not meeting Suki in the eye.

"But Chit Sang said..."

"Don't." Hakoda snapped. "He was going to do this whether you joined the escape or not. I knew he was planning something, I should have figured it out sooner."

Suki could say nothing to that. The whole situation was just horrible. They knew they were playing with fire by teaming up with these men and the flames had finally burned out of control.

"Still," Suki said carefully, "I'm sorry you had to leave Zuko." Inwardly Suki flinched. It wasn't just Hakoda. She had left Zuko too.

Hakoda let out an anguished breath that almost sounded as if he was laughing. "He trusted me."

"We were trapped and outnumbered- we had no choice," Suki replied, hoping to ease his guilt and her own at the same time. Then something occurred to her. "But I don't understand. Why did Chit Sang let us go?"

Hakoda finally turned and looked directly at her. "Because even though we were outnumbered, he didn't want to risk losing any of his men. It had nothing to do with generosity and everything to do with avoiding a nasty fight."

Suki sighed heavily. She should have realized. Chit Sang was definitely a brutish man who looked crude and dumb, but they had learned the hard way he possessed a cunning intellect that they had substantially underestimated. Now he'd gained the upper hand and they were on the losing end as they were slowly being lowered into the ocean to fend for themselves.

It wasn't long before the boat finally landed on top of the choppy waves. The tiny vessel rocked roughly before settling into the waters and soon the ropes that had lowered them fell into the ocean beside them, their ends frayed from cutting.

Hakoda wasted no time and untied the ropes from the boat before he grabbed both the oars and began to row them away from the Fire Nation Ship.

"What are we going to do next?" Suki couldn't help but ask.

"First we're going to get to land." Hakoda said as he paced his breathing to match the rowing. "Next we're going to find Aang and my children." Another breath. "And then, we're going to get Zuko back."

oOoOo

A/N – So originally when I started this fic I thought it was going to be a multi-chaptered but short fic about my version of the escape from the Boiling Rock and I would end it there, but eventually I decided to really get into it and the idea that Chit Sang would betray Hakoda and use Zuko for his own personal gain would not leave my head. The ending scene for this chapter has been in my mind for a while now and I was really glad to finally get to it. I had a lot of fun writing the back and forth between Hakoda and Chit Sang. I realize I have taken creative liberties with Chit Sang's character, but he's so minor I figured no one would mind.

Anyway, I will try to get Chapter 10 up in a reasonable amount of time, but no promises. Anime Boston is coming up in May and I have a million and one things to do. X_x

As always, let me know what you think! A few people have offered ideas of where they think this is going and I actually enjoy reading them to see how close they are to the mark. :D Either way, the reviews definitely keep me motivated. And to those who have subscribed to this fic, thanks for reading!

And as always, thanks to Rue Broadway for the beta read.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

oOoOo

_"We lost today but we've never been this close. We tasted victory and that counts for something." - Hakoda, The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse, Season 3, Episode 11  
_

oOoOo

Hakoda's arms burned as he continued to row towards the land. They had been a great distance from land when Chit Sang had them lowered into the ocean and as a result had quite some distance to cross before reaching the shore. Despite his extreme physical exertion, Hakoda continued rowing as fast as he could. Sweat dripped from his forehead and pit stains saturated his prison garb. The sun had gone down and yet the air was still extremely humid, only increasing Hakoda's exhaustion and thirst.

Suki had been silent since Hakoda's announcement of what they were going to do next and was clearly without objection to his plan. After sitting awkwardly for a few minutes she began looking into the packages that the vagrants had so graciously left in the tiny row boat. Her eyes widened with surprise when she pulled out an apple. "They gave us food?" Suki looked at the fruit warily, "Do you think they poisoned it?"

Hakoda shook his head as he paced his words with his rowing. "Nothing on the ship…to poison with."

"Then why would he give us food?" Suki asked as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Knowing Chit Sang…He probably thought it was funny…or that he was being generous…who knows," Hakoda replied with heavy breaths.

Suki was silent for a few moments as she watched Hakoda continue to row towards shore. "Let me help you."

"I'm fine," Hakoda insisted. He was completely exhausted and yet his frustration and anger kept him going. His mind was on one thing- getting to shore. Once they were on land they could begin the long journey north to the Western Air Temple. From what Hakoda could discern, they had been abandoned at the southern edge of the land mass that housed the temple. Unfortunately, the temple was on the northern edge. At best they were a hundred miles away. Depending on the terrain it could take a few days to traverse. Hakoda silently cursed as he thought about how close they would have been if Chit Sang had saved his treachery for one more day.

He also wasn't completely certain where that temple was specifically- given the fact that it had been abandoned for a hundred years. The maps on the Fire Nation ship where new and did not document the ancient city and so they did little to help him. Hakoda knew that the search for the temple could take a week or more once they reached the appropriate area and then there was the added possibility that the Avatar and his children had moved on from that location. The chances that he could successfully find his children and then go after Chit Sang before he sold Zuko back to the Fire Nation was slim at most.

"At least have some water," Suki offered after a few moments of silence, unknowingly interrupting Hakoda's disparaging thoughts.

Hakoda nodded in agreement and reached for the canteen. After taking a long sip, he immediately went back to rowing, putting all his energy into the rough exercise. He felt as if he was pouring all his anger into those paddles. He barely felt his arms and shoulders as they continued their repetitive motions.

"How long do you think it will take to get to the temple?" Suki asked- her voice low and tiny.

_She's scared, _Hakoda realized. She was trying desperately not to show it, but it was clear that she was completely out of her element and unsure of what she should be doing. _She probably still thought she was to blame for what Chit Sang did. _"A few days…maybe a week."

Suki nodded slowly as she stared at the floor boards on the rowboat. "Do you…do you think Zuko will last that long?"

Hakoda let out a heavy sigh as he paused his rowing. He needed a break anyway and it was hard to talk mid stroke. He also had a great deal of respect for this girl and so he didn't feel it was right to brush her off or lie to her and give her false hopes. She deserved to know everything that he did. "I don't know. I have to assume it will take some time for Chit Sang to get wherever he needs to go and then to sort out collecting the bounty without himself getting caught. That will take some time and I at least know that for now he needs Zuko alive."

"Where do you think he will go?"

"I don't know for sure, but I have a few ideas." Hakoda replied as he began to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Chit Sang really wanted to go east when we argued over direction. There's a couple occupied Earth Kingdom villages that I know of that would be a perfect place for someone like Chit Sang to hide in."

"But if they're occupied, wouldn't that be bad for him?" Suki asked, not following Hakoda's reasoning.

Hakoda shook his head and took a sip of water before answering. "Occupation is a messy situation when you're still trying to conquer. The good soldiers are out fighting the rebellions from pockets in the east where rebels are still fighting back- even after Ba Sing Se was conquered. However, the western shore of the Earth Kingdom has been very well subjugated for decades now, given its proximity to the Fire Nation. The soldiers there are second rate, easily manipulated. A criminal like Chit Sang can use that kind of advantage to hide but still pull strings to get money for Zuko."

"So you think we have a chance of saving Zuko?"

"A chance-yes." Hakoda put his hands back on the oars and clarified before he continued rowing. "If we push north as fast as we can, there's a chance."

"But not a good one," Suki offered after a moment's hesitation.

"Not a good one," Hakoda agreed as he once again put all his energy to reaching the shore.

The rest of the journey to the shore passed in silence. Suki organized the food that they would be able to bring with them into a pack that they could carry once they reached land.

When they finally did reach the shore, Hakoda felt that he would collapse at the slightest touch. He had been rowing nonstop for over an hour and his arms screamed in agony. Once he was outside of the boat he fell onto the beach and let the waves roll over him and cool his skin. The water felt amazing and helped soothe his aching muscles. He lay there for a few moments and indulged in the chance to rest before finally getting back up to look over at Suki. She was outside the boat and adjusting the pack onto her shoulders.

"Ready?" Hakoda asked as he reached for the oars.

Suki nodded. "Are we going to walk all night?"

Hakoda shook his head as he reached for the oars inside the boat. "No, the moon will provide some light for a few hours. We'll travel north until it sets and then we'll rest. There's no point in pushing ourselves too hard to the point of complete exhaustion." Hakoda then snapped the paddles off the two oars. The wooden poles would make decent spears when he got the chance to file them down. He would need them to hunt to food when their food supplies ran out. "Let's go."

During the time that he had been rowing to shore he refused to look back at the Fire Nation vessel, but as he was leaving the shore and heading towards the thick forest he could not help but glance back at the distant ship. It had already sailed away from them and therefore was no longer within range to be seen, especially against the night sky. Hakoda suddenly felt his heart lurch and a taste of bile rose in his throat as he let the emotion he had refused to feel bubble to the surface. He truly had left Zuko behind and broke his promise. Granted he was forced to do so, but it did not ease the guilt that plagued him as looked back towards the trees and continued walking.

He could only hope Zuko knew that the only conceivable way to save him- was to leave him.

oOoOo

Zuko's head throbbed painfully, causing a feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach. It took him a few moments before he realized that his eyes were open but he just couldn't see anything because the room was completely dark. Zuko turned on his back, groaning in pain as his limbs screamed out in protest from the sudden movement. Once on his back he could see a faint stream of light coming from the crack in the door providing extremely dim illumination.

Zuko lay very still as he waited for the nausea and pain to die down and for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Once he felt like he could stand to move again, he gradually lifted himself into a sitting position with a loud gasp of pain. It took a few moments for Zuko to get his bearings and realize he was in the cargo hold of a ship. It took few more moments for him to remember how he got there.

"Shit," Zuko spat as he scrambled to his feet and attempted to open the door. It would not budge, signifying a fact that he was afraid of. He was trapped, imprisoned. "_No_," Zuko whispered with a tone of anguish in his voice. He lightly beat his fist against the wooden door as he desperately wondered why Chit Sang had locked him in the cargo hold, causing fear to course through his veins. That terror increased when his thoughts suddenly turned to Hakoda and Suki. What has Chit Sang done to them? Did they see Chit Sang carrying him to the cargo hold? Did they know what Chit Sang was planning? The questions continued to mount in his mind without any way to answer them.

The uncertainty made Zuko start to shake very subtly and the realization that he was once again completely powerless made his vision blur suddenly. Zuko swayed for a few moments on his feet before leaning back against the wall and dropped slowly to the floor. He pulled his knees up to his chest as he tried to calm himself down. Now was not the time to dissolve into hysterics. He had to focus and he had to think, starting with how he was going to get out of this room.

His thoughts, however, came to a screeching halt when he heard someone lifting the lock on the other side of the door. The door opened with a loud creak, letting the light from the hall spill into the room. Chit Sang walked into the room and looked around for the prince before seeing him huddled next to the wall. He was wearing a motley assortment of maroon and gold clothing that must have been scavenged from the ship's previous residents.

A grin spread across the giant man's face when he spotted Zuko. "You're awake," he said with a tone of amusement.

Zuko glared at the man for a moment before deciding to stand and face Chit Sang. He knew he was at a disadvantage but he did not want to appear completely helpless. "Where are Hakoda and Suki?" He was almost surprised at himself for thinking of them before himself. He had no idea why he was in the cargo hold or what Chit Sang wanted to do with him, but first he had to know if Hakoda and Suki were okay.

"You can forget about them, they're gone," Chit Sang replied carelessly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zuko asked with dread in his voice.

Chit Sang laughed suddenly before responding. "Don't sound so concerned. I didn't kill them, they left you."

"You're lying," Zuko's voice quavered and he clenched his fists to try and quell the fear that was rising in the pit of his stomach. Chit Sang had to be lying! Hakoda had made a promise to take him to safety. He had even searched for Zuko during the escape when he wasn't where he was supposed to be. It was just not possible that after all that, Hakoda would leave him now.

"I really don't care if you believe me," Chit Sang replied nonchalantly. "They're gone and that's all that matters. You belong to me now and you are going to do what I say. Got it?"

"What do you want with me?" The fear he felt for Hakoda and Suki turned back onto himself as the gravity of the situation began to sink in. If Hakoda and Suki were gone- whatever the reason- then he was then at the mercy of this abusive criminal.

Chit Sang rested his over-sized hand on Zuko's good shoulder as if he was speaking to a good friend. "You know, after you spend a lot of time in prison, you don't get to save up too much money."

"What do you mean?" Zuko cringed and silently wished Chit Sang would take his hand off his shoulder.

Chit Sang patted his shoulder a little roughly, "You're going to help me with that little problem. But right now," Chit Sang reached over and took a look at the bandage on Zuko's shoulder. It was dirty and saturated with blood. It definitely needed to be change soon; Zuko was risking infection at this point. "Now we need to make sure this is taken care of."

Zuko was unable to respond to that statement and felt his knees begin to shake. It was taking all his energy to remain standing and face this man. His entire body was pressed against the wall and he desperately wished he could just disappear through it.

"Let's go." Chit Sang moved his hand to the back of Zuko's neck and started to push him forward. The man roughly led him out of the cargo hold and out into the hall. Zuko cringed visibly from the hand on his neck but he didn't hesitate for a moment and let Chit Sang lead him through the hallway.

When Chit Sang reached his destination he shoved Zuko through the doorway causing him to trip over his feet and fall to the floor with a yelp. Tears formed in Zuko's right eye as the pain exploded in his shoulder, but he managed to hold them back.

"Jing!" Chit Sang called to the other prisoner in the room who was sitting at the table ripping a white sheet unto long strips. Jing was a muscular man, though not as big as Chit Sang. His hair hung just above his shoulders and he sported a slight beard. He was rough looking and unlike Chit Sang, he still wore the rusty red prison clothes of the Boiling Rock. As soon as his name was called he looked up from the table and then immediately frowned when he saw Zuko on the ground.

"You shouldn't toss him around like that," Jing chided as he got up from his seat and moved over to where Zuko lay crouched on the ground. "The wound is still fresh."

"I know," Chit Sang replied and waved his hand in an irritated way. "Just make sure it's not gonna kill 'im."

Zuko forced himself to hold still as Jing leaned over and pushed the sleeve of his tunic down his arm to gain better access to his shoulder. The tunic was too big on Zuko's small framed so it slipped down to his forearm easily. With Jing's guidance he pulled Zuko's arm out of the neck hole and into the open. Jing began to peel away the old bandages and Zuko couldn't help but hiss with pain as the crusted bandages were lifted from his skin. Once they were removed Jing moved in to get a closer look. "It's fine. If I wash it and put new bandages on, it should be okay."

"Excellent!" Chit Sang responded with a grin.

"I need you to move over there," Jing said when he caught Zuko's eyes and then inclined his head towards the table. His demeanor was that of detached interest. It wasn't hostile, like Chit Sang and yet it wasn't concerned the way Hakoda often was. Zuko knew without being told that this man did not care about his health, only what Chit Sang ordered of him.

Zuko wanted to refuse this man but he knew that he desperately needed his arrow wound to be tended to, even if the man who was treating him was doing it for selfish reasons. He also knew he was risking his health in other ways if he didn't follow this man's orders. Carefully, Zuko began to stand and followed Jing's lead over to the table. He was instructed to sit down and without hesitation Jing began to wash the wound. The water, though fresh and cool, stung his open wound harshly, but he forced himself to remain silent.

"Tell me, boy," Chit Sang said conversationally as he watched Jing wash his wound. "How much is the typical bounty for a thug like me?"

Zuko was thrown off by the strange question and so he answered honestly. "It—It depends on the criminal...and the crime. Maybe...20,000 gold pieces for you."

"What about for a prince?"

Zuko's eyes furrowed in confusion, but a few seconds later his eyes widened as realization hit. "No!"

"Well?" Chit Sang replied, oblivious to Zuko's objection.

"Please," Zuko begged as the thought of being returned to his father paralyzed him with fear. "Don't send me back there!" He couldn't go back to prison. He couldn't go back to a life of misery, especially after tasting freedom after so many months. It was beyond cruel.

"That's not your choice. Like I said earlier, I have a money problem, and you're going to solve it."

"No!" Zuko cried as he jerked away from Jing's touch as he was in the middle of cleaning his wound.

"Stay still!" Jing snarled as he gripped Zuko's should to pull him back into place. The pressure caused jolt of hot pain that left Zuko gasping for breath. "Better," Jing muttered after Zuko managed to remain still.

"Are you going to keep him in the cargo hold?" Jing asked, cutting through the silent tension that had developed in the air. He spoke without looking directly at Chit Sang; his focus instead completely on cleaning Zuko's wound.

"Should I?"

"If you want to make sure he doesn't get sick from this wound, I'd advise against it," Jing replied plainly and speaking as if Zuko wasn't in the room.

"Sure, whatever," Chit Sang muttered with a roll of his eyes. "I only put him there so he would be out of the way when I dealt with Hakoda and that girl. It's not like he can go far."

At the mention of Hakoda and Suki, Zuko's blood ran cold. What exactly did Chit Sang mean when he said "dealt with"? Granted Chit Sang said Hakoda and Suki had left, but what reason did Zuko have to trust anything Chit Sang said?

"Indeed." Jing responded without looking up at the brutish man and instead placed the wet cloth into the water basin on the nearby table. The water was now tinged slightly red from the small amount of blood that had continued to seep from his wound. Meanwhile, Chit Sang sighed audibly and leaned against the doorway and began picking at his nails as he waited for Jing to finish his task.

"So, boy," Chit Sang said, "Are you going to answer my question?"

He didn't want to answer anything Chit Sang asked, but he found himself responding anyway in a low voice, barely above a whisper. "I don't know." He honestly had no idea what his father would offer for his return. It was not common for a prince to have a bounty on his head and Zuko didn't want to think of what it would be like to have his face plastered on one of those same posters he had made for the Avatar. He didn't want to think at all, but the questions kept coming and the images of Hakoda and Suki plagued his mind.

"But more than 20, right?"

"Probably...yes." Zuko winced as he replied. Jing had started to wrap fresh new strips of cloth around his shoulder creating a stabbing pain in the tender area every time the surrogate healer touched him.

"Hmm," Chit Sang muttered as he continued to dig the dirt out from under his nails. "I guess that's good enough."

Once again the silence seemed to hang heavily in the air as Jing continued to wrap the fresh bandages around his shoulder. Zuko remained quiet and considered the words that were spoken between the two criminals just moments ago. Despair once again settled heavily in his being at the realization that he was completely trapped. Chit Sang didn't even need to lock him up; the ship itself was a prison. He had no way of leaving, especially if land was not nearby. Furthermore, he was extremely weak from his injuries and unable to fight effectively. He doubted he was strong enough to even hold a small flame in his hand. The feeling that he had achieved on this ship of finally being free now felt like an iron cage closing in on him. The freedom had been short lived and Zuko was once more felt utterly helpless and alone.

Zuko looked down at his shoulder, now wrapped in fresh bandages. He still felt a throbbing pain from having been washed and touched, however it did feel a little better now that it was clean. Jing tied off the end of the bandage before turning to Chit Sang. "Done," Jing announced without emotion.

Chit Sang looked up and lifted himself off the door frame. "Good. Let's go, boy."

Zuko did not appreciate being commanded to move, but he knew better than to risk angering Chit Sang. Slowly Zuko pulled his arm back into the sleeve of his shirt. He then lifted himself off the chair but he had to stop and clutch the table as a wave of dizziness left him momentarily off balance as blind spots danced across his vision. Once he felt strong enough to move again he walked towards the door where Chit Sang was waiting. When he was close enough, Chit Sang reached out and grabbed him by the neck once more and began pushing Zuko forward through the halls.

Zuko wanted to fight back but he couldn't bring himself to do anything but go where Chit Sang wanted. Months of being beaten into submission had left their mark on his psyche and even though his captors where different, the fear was the same.

Chit Sang shoved Zuko into an empty cabin and this time he managed to stay on his feet instead of falling to the floor. Zuko immediately recognized the room as the one he had occupied before being locked in the cargo hold.

"I'm going to say this once, boy, so listen up," Chit Sang announced from the doorway. Zuko immediately turned around to face the larger man although he kept his mouth closed. "Right now you belong to me and you will do what I say. You can stay in this room but if you do anything I don't like, you will be punished and locked back in the cargo hold. Got it?"

Zuko was unable to speak, still trying to comprehend the new situation fully. Instead he simply nodded to convey that he understood.

"Good. Now don't get ideas of escape in your head. We're nowhere near land and you're seriously outnumbered. Besides my men might not be so careful in restraining you if you try anything stupid."

Zuko couldn't bear to look up at Chit Sang as he continued to explain the new rules and instead found himself staring at the floorboards wishing Chit Sang would go away.

"So stay in this room unless you're told otherwise, and we're good as gold," Chit Sang continued with an air of false congeniality, "I'll have food for you soon. You better eat it, you look like you might die of starvation any moment and you're not worth anything to me dead. Any questions?"

Zuko shook his head quickly, his eyes still holding fast to the grained wood of the floor and hoped that would be the end of Chit Sang's little speech. He felt like he was on the verge of breaking down and he did not want to do that in front of his captor. Instead he wanted to be left alone with his misery.

Fortunately Chit Sang was done and simply muttered a quick "Good" and then left. The door slammed shut, leaving Zuko with an empty yet consuming silence. There was no lock for the door, but it didn't need one. Zuko had nowhere to go.

oOoOo

A/N - XD RueBroadway is an awesome Beta Reader. Sent her the copy at like 10pm last night and BAM! Was there back in my inbox when I woke up at 7am.

I actually struggled a little here, mostly because I had something I wanted to do and then I realized I needed to push it off and flesh out the situation a little better. So next chapter should be fun. :D

I decided to start putting this up on livejournal because I know some people prefer that over ffnet and I like the idea of having more than one option for people who may prefer different mediums for reading fanfiction. I'm in the process of rereading and making small edits to earlier chapters. I'm on chapter 3 now. The changes I'm making are tiny and don't affect the story, just some typo correcting, sentence restructuring and maybe fixing minor mistakes that some reviewers pointed out. As I fix the chapters I will be reposting them on ffnet and on my new livejournal accout. I will be linking to it in my profile, but you can find me there as deinonychosaur.

Speaking of reviews, I'm at 97! :D 3 more and I get over a 100. I'm sure you can guys can meet that goal for me, especially anyone who has been reading and hasn't reviewed yet. -_^ I love to know what you guys are thinking, it really helps me to know what direction I need to go in and I'm not afraid to be corrected if I make a mistake. So please, keep them coming.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

oOoOo

"_Well, then, maybe you should worry less about the tides who've already made up their mind about killing you and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over." – Azula, "The Avatar State", Season 2, Episode 1_

oOoOo

Zuko spent the first few days after Chit Sang's mutiny alone in his room. The other prisoners didn't bother him except to bring him food and Jing would come in only to check on his wound and clean it. He was always quiet and never spoke unless directing Zuko. Jing never mistreated Zuko, but he was not kind either.

While he was alone, Zuko did not dare leave the room and as a result he began to feel himself slipping back into the depressed state of mind that he had been in when he was at the Boiling Rock. The minutes slipped into hours and eventually into days. He was never told what happened to Hakoda and Suki and he could only assume the worst. Chit Sang had said that they had left on their own but what reason did he have to believe him? Hakoda had made good on all his promises up until now. Why would he just leave, and without a word of it to Zuko? The thought that Hakoda would abandon him was too painful to consider and even though alternative was not much better, it at least meant that Hakoda had not left him, and he didn't have to question his trust in the man who has saved his life on more than one occasion. Zuko had to believe that Chit Sang had done something to them- to cling to the tiny hope that at least Hakoda did not break his promise.

On the fourth day since Hakoda and Suki disappeared, Chit Sang finally came to see Zuko. He entered carrying a mop and bucket of water and a wide grin on face. "Get up!" Chit Sang ordered.

Zuko, who had been lying in his bed and staring endlessly at the ceiling, nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Chit Sang's booming voice. He immediately lifted himself up off the bed and stood before the larger man, careful to keep his head down. The guards always preferred he keep his head down, why would Chit Sang be any different?

"It's time you pay me back for all those times I cleaned your cell," Chit Sang announced cheerfully.

"What?" Zuko asked, completely confused.

"You're going to start cleaning the ship," Chit Sang declared as he shoved the mop into Zuko's hands. "Jing says you're well enough to work, so you will work. There are no freeloaders on my ship!"

_I'm not a freeloader, I'm a prisoner,_ Zuko thought furiously, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He knew the distinction would not matter to this man and he did not want to provoke any type of punishment for talking back. Silently he followed Chit Sang as he was lead out of the room and to the upper decks.

Zuko squinted as he was bathed in sunlight. It was a cloudless day and the light reflected sharply off the waters. Land was nowhere in sight but Zuko immediately noticed that they were heading east. Some of the criminals were on the deck working on the sails and one was at the helm. They barely even noticed Chit Sang and Zuko.

"Clean the decks!" Chit Sang ordered, "And when you're done up hear clean the lower decks. You won't eat till you're done… is that clear?"

Zuko simply nodded his understanding. He didn't relish the idea of cleaning the decks, but it was better than being shut away with nothing to do. At least he could breathe the fresh sea air and feel the sun on his skin.

"Good," Chit Sang said and then suddenly grabbed Zuko by the chin roughly, "And you know not to do anything stupid, right?"

Zuko nodded quickly and rubbed his chin when Chit Sang let go. He hated to be touched and this time was no different.

Chit Sang smirked, "What a docile little prince you are, and here I thought there might be some fire in you. No wonder you father disowned you."

Those words felt like a dagger in his heart, but he refused to answer. He couldn't. He wanted to fight back and say it wasn't true and yet the submission that had been beaten into him had taken over once more and kept him from fighting back. That only lent some added truth to those words and made them sting even more.

"Well get to work," Chit Sang said after a moment of silence and then disappeared down below the decks.

Zuko stood for a seconds, completely at a loss. He furiously wanted to fight back and just a fire blast to his back- yet he found himself standing still and doing nothing. Zuko desperately wondered why he had fought back so much when the guard had tried to rape him and yet here he was obeying Chit Sang unquestioningly. What had happened to that Zuko who had battled so fiercely not to submit?

_He left when Hakoda left. _The admission caused Zuko to feel numb. The only reason he had to hope, the only reason he had started to fight again was because of Hakoda. Now-now there was no reason to fight anymore. Now there wasn't any hope. He had fought so hard only to be sent back to his father and back to prison.

His his thoughts left him feeling dizzy, causing him to sink to his knees and he grabbed on to the water bucket with both his hands so he would not fall completely to the floor. As a result he could not help but look into the water and notice his reflection. His face-he had not seen his face for months and now he barely recognized himself. If it wasn't for the scar he would think he was someone else completely. His hair had grown wildly on his head and fell limply in front of his face. What little of his face was visibly was gaunt and yellow with fading bruises. What startled him most were his eyes. They were so hollow and lifeless. _So this is what I have been reduced to—a shadow of my former self._ The revelation shook him to his core that he had to look away. Angrily, he grabbed for the mop and lifted himself up. He began mopping the deck; refusing to look back at the bucket and trying desperately block that image from his mind. He forced himself to hold back the well of tears that threatened to spill from his one good eye.

Zuko continued to mop the deck; trying to lose himself in the task he had been given. He focused on each grain of wood as he washed the decks. The repetitive motion of his arms helped to calm his torturous thoughts; the pain it caused his shoulder dulled that which was in his mind.

It wasn't until an hour after he had begun cleaning the decks that he was interrupted. Chit Sang had returned to make sure he was cleaning correctly and then sat by the helm and started talking to the man who was standing there. It was shortly after Chit Sang's return above deck that he was approached by a couple of the other prisoners. They had come onto the deck and were sharing a bottle of rum congenially when they noticed Zuko and walked over.

"Lookie, lookie…is this our highness, the dear prince cleaning our decks?" One of the men jeered. This man was just as brutish looking as Chit Sang, only a little shorter with a bald head. He, along with his companion, was wearing clothes scavenged from the previous occupants of the ship. His companion, however, was not as bulky but rather tall and lanky with long brown hair. There was something sinister and creepy about the man. He had a dagger in his hand that he kept on flipping carelessly as he eyed Zuko with a slight grin.

Zuko chose to ignore the two men and continued to mop and trying again to focus all his attention on the decks.

"Hey!" The taller man yelled, "We're talking to you!"

Zuko closed his eyes, silently wishing they would go away.

"Yeah, you supposed to speak when spoken to? Isn't that like a royal etiquette or something?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Tian?" The taller prisoner said a laugh before tucking the dagger into his belt and taking another swallow of the rum.

"You know what I mean, Yusheng" Tian replied as he grabbed the bottle from his friend and took a swig. "They teach those noble born kids special rules of talking to people and stuff."

"You're an idiot. That's only for each other. They don't care about how they talk to us. Isn't that right, prince?" Yusheng's eyes were back on Zuko. "But I guess it doesn't matter with an outcast like you."

Zuko continued to focus on his work and not respond to the men, but they refused to be ignored.

"Even Hakoda didn't want anything to do with you anymore," Yusheng continued with a sneer.

Zuko couldn't help it; he froze when he heard that name and found himself speaking to the men. "What happened to Hakoda?"

"Ohh," Tian said mockingly, "Looks like we touched a nerve."

Yusheng ignored his friend and responded to Zuko's question. "He left, didn't you know?"

"Chit Sang said, but-"

"You thought he lied?" Yusheng laughed, "Can't handle the thought that the stupid man didn't care about you?"

Zuko said nothing to that. He couldn't.

"You're so stupid," Yusheng continued mercilessly. "As soon as land was sighted, Hakoda jumped ship with the girl. Guess you weren't good enough. I'd choose that piece of ass any day over your scrawny one."

Zuko's vision blurred, the heat of unspilled tears burning his eyes. _It wasn't true. Hakoda had promised. It wasn't like that. _And then Zuko remembered the land he had seen before Chit Sang attacked him and the boat that was being prepared. Desperately he looked around for any sign of the small boat but it was nowhere to be found. Yusheng simply laughed at Zuko's panic.

"Too bad that Chit Sang let the girl go with him. I would've liked a go with her," Tian commented, heedless to Zuko's pain. He was still drinking his rum and swayed drunkenly.

Yusheng, however, was quite aware of the pain he was inflicting as he walked closer to Zuko. "Come on, you really didn't think anyone cared about you?"

"He...he said he cared," Zuko replied helplessly, completely at a loss of what to say, what to do, _how to feel._

Yusheng stopped in front of Zuko and reached has hand to Zuko's face which caused him to flinch, "I bet he did. Too bad you're so ugly, but I guess I can overlook the scar _and_ your scrawny ass."

Yusheng's intention became chillingly clear when he felt a hand reach between his legs. Zuko immediately pushed the man away and jumped back. Because of his weakened state the push did not affect Yusheng much but he did not have a hold of Zuko and so he was able to successfully back away.

"Stay away from me!" Zuko yelled as he continued to move away from Yusheng.

"Yusheng, what's going on?" Tian responded with a slur, oblivious to what his friend had done.

Yusheng ignored his friend and kept his eyes firmly on the prince. "Oh come on, you might actually like it."

In that moment Zuko felt something in his mind just snap. It was too much. He couldn't suffer like this anymore. It was clear to him that he had no control, nowhere to turn, no place to go. There was only one thing left to him that he could choose. In that moment his mind was made up; his path was clear.

Zuko felt his body spring into action as if he was no longer the one moving it. He bolted towards the railing of the ship, barely noticing the cries of the prisoners behind him. As soon as he reached the side of the ship he pushed himself onto the ledge. Zuko hesitated only a moment before plunging into the salty waters below.

Zuko hit the water feet first. He did not fight or try to swim; instead he let a strange calmness overtake his body as he sank below the waters. He breathed out slowly, allowing all the air to leave his lungs. He just wanted to sink lower and lower and lose himself in the water. He wanted the pain to leave and the turmoil to be over. This was the only way he knew how to make that happen.

His lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen and he felt his vision start to go black. In that moment felt a sense of inner peace as he felt his pain begin to melt away. That peace was shattered as he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist and pull him into a strong embrace.

Zuko struggled as hard as he could, but he was still so weak. Chit Sang continued to hold him tightly as he swam furiously for the surface. Zuko thought he just might pass out before they reached the surface when they finally breached the water. Zuko's body began to cough and sputter uncontrollably as he gasped for air. Zuko was barely aware of the arm that continued to cling to him and hold him against Chit Sang's body. It wasn't long before they were being lifted by a rope back up the side of the boat.

Inch by inch the other prisoners pulled Chit Sang and Zuko back onto the boat. Once they were pulled back over the ledge, Chit Sang tossed Zuko unceremoniously to the floor. Zuko was too weak and still gasping for breath, which caused him to hit the deck hard.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Chit Sang screamed at Zuko and then delivered a swift kick to his stomach. "You think you can fucking _escape_ this? You aren't going anywhere until I get my money!"

Zuko clutched his stomach as he tried to ride out the wave of pain in his stomach from the kick. He was still unable to speak and just closed his eyes as Chit Sang continued to berate him.

"You fucking little piece of shit," Chit Sang sneered as he delivered another kick. "You are going to pay for making me go get you! Fucking piece of shit!"

Chit Sang stopped and regarded the other men on deck. "Take him below deck and tie him up!"

Zuko felt four strong arms lift him off the deck and carry him below. He didn't bother fighting back and just let the men carry him down to the cargo hold. He was dropped roughly to the floor and soon felt his arms being bound behind his back followed by his feet.

As soon as they were done they left, closing the door and removing the only source of light. Darkness reigned as he lay on the floor bound hand and foot. A deep sense of despair overwhelmed his senses as he realize there was no hope left, not even the hope of dying and leaving the pain behind.

oOoOo

The terrain was fairly rough, but despite the thickness of the forest they made good time. Hakoda couldn't help but be impressed by Suki. She had been imprisoned much longer than he was but she moved on without any complaint and kept pace with Hakoda. It was clear that nothing but wildlife inhabited these lands making it a rich hunting ground. Once the supplies had run out, they still found plenty of food to keep them satisfied. They also stumbled across plenty of streams to keep them hydrated. Hakoda couldn't help but marvel at how plentiful such wilderness was when untouched by man.

"How close do you think we are?" Suki asked as they continued walking through the forest. They were climbing up a large hill and fortunately the incline was not too steep. Hakoda was in the lead using his sword to hack away any branches that got in their way.

"To be honest," Hakoda replied as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, "I'm not sure, but we are covering a lot of ground each day, which is good."

Hakoda had noticed that ever since they left the beach, Suki had been careful not talk about Zuko. Hakoda was grateful for that consideration as the imprisoned prince was a sore subject at the moment. He did not want to dwell on his broken promise. Instead he wanted to focus on how he was going find him again and that first meant finding the Western Air Temple.

"Sokka is just like you," Suki said after a moment's hesitation. "-so determined."

Hakoda chuckled softly, "Is that so?"

"Yeah. He's also really protective of the ones he cares about too; I guess he got that from you?"

Hakoda smiled, "I guess he did." Hakoda thought of how Sokka was always trying to prove himself and show how much of a warrior he was. He was always trying to impress his father. Then his stomach lurched as he thought of Zuko. That boy had desperately tried to do just that and instead was abused horribly as a result. Hakoda clenched his fist in anger. He could only hope that it wasn't too late to save the boy and free him from not only his physical prison, but his mental one as well.

Whether Suki was aware of Hakoda's inner turmoil or completely oblivious, she managed to get his mind off of the young prince. "You know I got him to wear a dress."

"Did you?" Hakoda laughed as he pushed all thoughts of Zuko from his mind.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny."

"I bet," Hakoda said as he regarded Suki. It was clear to him the way she would talk about his son that she had some kind of interest in him. He couldn't help but smile at that thought, she was a fine young lady and he would certainly approve of her as a match for his son.

Hakoda continued to hack at some of the branches in his way until he noticed that the trees were becoming sparser. He was certain they must be near the top, which was a relief. His arms were fairly tired, and he welcomed the impending break. Once the trees faded off Hakoda looked out across the land and felt his heart skip a beat. What he saw was the ocean, sparkling in the afternoon sun. They had reached the northern border of the land mass, which meant now they could begin their search for the temple itself.

Suki walked up behind Hakoda and looked over the landscape. "Wow, it's beautiful."

Hakoda nodded in agreement. "Yes it is."

"Where do we go next?"

"Well," Hakoda replied as he looked around from his high vantage point. "I do know that the temple is located on a cliff in the mountains." He then pointed east where a large range was clearly visible. "There. Chances are it is located in those mountains."

Suki followed his line of sight and frowned. "That's a lot of mountains to search."

"I know, but what better option do we have?" Hakoda sighed. "Let's take a break and then we will begin our search."

"Okay," Suki responded as she found a grassy patch to rest in and began rummaging through her pack and picked out some fruits they had gathered on their journey for a midday snack. She tossed Hakoda a pear and kept one for herself. "What do we do if we find the temple and they have already moved on?"

That was a scenario that Hakoda was increasingly worried would be the case. With a sigh he bit into the sweet fruit, and then responded to Suki's question. "I don't know. We'll just have to figure that out when we get there."

Suki nodded and was thoughtful for a moment before asking another question. "I still find it unbelievable that you actually tried to invade the Fire Nation. How do you think the Fire Nation found out?"

Hakoda considered for a moment before answering. "If I had to guess...at some point when Ba Sing Se was occupied. The original plan was to include the Earth Kingdom in the attack, but when the Fire Nation princess staged a coup, someone probably leaked the plan. I knew it was a possibility, but we had to take the chance that the Fire Nation didn't know. Too much was at stake and we couldn't pass the opportunity if it was there."

"But that meant risking your lives of your men, didn't it?" Suki replied solemnly. "I don't know if I would risk it."

"Unfortunately, when you are a commander in a war you have to make decisions that will put the lives of your soldiers in danger. There's no avoiding it. Every one of my men was willing to give their lives to put an end to this painful war and I don't think anyone of them did not lose someone close to them as a result of the Fire Nation's ruthlessness. They wanted to make the Fire Nation pay even if it was a pinprick in comparison to the holes in our hearts from the loved ones who were slain."

"Oh," was all Suki said before taking a bite of her own pear.

Hakoda remained silent as he thought of his men. He could only hope that wherever they were they were not being horribly mistreated. He knew the Fire Nation was cruel, but he had no idea just how cruel they could be until he saw what they had done to their own prince. He wanted desperately to find his men and free them from prison but he knew in his heart he had to rescue Zuko. Chit Sang was right in his own twisted way. He did want to use the prince, but it _was_ for the greater good. The Fire Nation needed a leader who understood just how far their nation had fallen and who could lead them on the correct path. He was absolutely certain Zuko was capable of doing just that with some guidance and if he did not find a way to save him and restore him to power the cycle of violence would only continue with the cold and callous Princess Azula.

Hakoda took one final bite of his fruit and then stood up, stretching his sore limbs. "Alright, it's time we move on."

Suki nodded and rose from the grass herself. "Do you think we will find the temple before the day ends?"

"With any luck, let's go!"

Hakoda and Suki continued their search as they made their way down the large hill. Within two hours they had made their way into the rocky mountain range. Unfortunately they were unable to find any signs of the temple and had to take shelter in a small cave for the night.

Anxious to continue the search, Hakoda had risen just before dawn and Suki woke as well without complaint. The mountains range started to become less rocky and soon started to thicken with woodland. Hakoda hoped that it was a good sign and that the Air Temple would be closer to where the original occupants would be able to gather food for their home.

At the very least the forest was not as thick as the one they had traveled in to reach the northern edge of land. He did not need to hack away at the wild brush and instead could focus on the sounds of the woods for any signs of human occupation or a clue to the location of the temple. It wasn't until mid afternoon that he heard a sound that made him stop in his tracks. He quickly signaled Suki to do the same as he concentrated carefully to the sound that he recognized as footsteps.

"Hello?" Hakoda called out, hoping that the person he was hearing would be friendly. It was a risk he had to take. He made sure to put his hand on the hilt of his sword in case it was someone that would cause them harm.

"Who's there?" A voice called out in response. The voice sounded strangely familiar but he could not place it.

"A friend, I hope," Hakoda called back.

"Hakoda?" The voice exclaimed and was soon followed by the appearance of a young man on his left. Hakoda's face lit up as he recognized the young Earth Kingdom boy with the dual hook swords who had assisted in the invasion of the Fire Nation.

"Jet!" Hakoda exclaimed in return. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you!"

Jet's expression was one of pure shock as he tried fumbled over his next words, "How...where...what the fuck are you doing here?"

Hakoda laughed cheerfully in response. "I'll explain once I see my children. Are they nearby?"

"Yeah," Jet replied as he regained his composure. "They're back at the temple, follow me."

Hakoda motioned for Suki to go first before following himself. He could not keep from grinning as he felt his fortune was finally smiling on him in return. With any luck he would find Zuko before he was sold back to the Fire Nation.

oOoOo

Azula never liked to be interrupted, especially while she was training, but when her most trusted informant requested her attention she knew she better hear what he had to say. Azula grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her face. She never liked looking anything but impeccable in front of her subjects, but Wei was one of the few people where she would make an exception.

Azula hung the towel from her neck and made her way into the reception room. Fresh water and fruit was placed on the table with which she immediately indulged herself as she plucked a grape and popped it into her mouth.

Wei entered without introduction and regarded the princess respectfully. "My lady, I have some news that will be of interest." Wei was a tall man who wore a high topknot speckled grey hairs that marked his age. He was a callous man, but extremely professional and unwaveringly loyal for the right amount of money. The man had a vast network of spies and connections which made him invaluable for any information of interest and tasks that Azula needed done without her direct involvement.

Azula waved her hand dismissively as she sipped a cup of icy water. "No need for formalities, just tell me what made you interrupt my training session."

Wei frowned, which informed Azula that the news was not going to be good. "Your father just received word that there was a large riot at the Boiling Rock and some of the prisoners managed to escape. Your brother was among one of the escapees."

Azula slammed her water goblet on the table causing water to spill everywhere. "How did this happen?"

"Preliminary reports say a riot was staged as a diversion for a group of prisoners to make the attempt. Somehow the prince was involved and they managed to escape on one of our cargo ships that were making a scheduled delivery. Reports say at least three dozen are dead, guards and prisoners alike."

Azula's remained perfectly still after her initial outburst and regarded Wei with a calm wrath. "You promised me Zuko would be dead by now."

"I know," Wei sighed, unaffected by her chilling gaze. "I, unfortunately, made a miscalculation."

"Explain," Azula commanded.

"The man I chose for the job had certain...proclivities...that I was not aware of until now."

"Such as?"

"He tried to rape Zuko before killing him, and apparently Zuko fought back and burned his face." Wei explained carefully.

"You're kidding."

"Have you ever known me to kid?"

Azula couldn't help but laugh. Apparently her dear older brother still had some fight in him yet. It was exactly what she had feared. Ever since her father had managed to usurp the crown from her doddering old uncle she knew she must do the same to her brother and the only certain way was to make sure he did not live to inherit it. For some baffling reason, her father had decided to imprison Zuko instead of execution so Azula had to take matters into her own hands. She had employed Wei to make this happen by first discreetly paying the guards to mistreat and neglect Zuko. Prison was a harsh place and no one would suspect if the prince simply passed away in the night from illness. However it was taking too long, especially after Zuko recently managed to survive a particularly bad illness. It was increasingly clear that more bold action needed to be taken and so she decided to hire an assassin and now that had failed miserably. To make matters worse, the fear that had caused her to act had come true. Her brother had managed to escape prison and now- even though his chances of every regaining his status as crown prince were so minuscule- she would not breathe easy until he was dead.

Azula, however, was not one to give up and would always see the silver lining in any bad situation. Her lips twisted into a grin as she saw an opportunity in these new circumstances. "What has my father done in response?"

"A bounty has been placed on Zuko's head," Wei answered quickly.

"Dead or alive?"

"He has included both as an option."

Azula's grin widened. So her father was willing to allow his son to be killed, which made it easier for her to make a move. "Put the word out in the proper ears that I will double the bounty to make it dead."

"And what would milady require as proof of the dead?"

"His head will suffice."

"It will be done."

"Oh and one more thing," Azula said as she plucked another grape from the bunch. "It would make me happy if my dear brother is alive when his head is severed from his neck...with a dull blade."

"Understood." Wei bowed quickly before excusing himself

Azula chuckled softly once the man was gone. Things were looking up after all.

oOoOo

A/N - So when the Day of the Black Sun originally aired I thought, "Where's Jet?" I had completely forgot that he had died. So since certain events did not happen that would result in his death I decided to include him in the invasion plan. So this is one of the many differences I think would take place if Zuko did was not present in season 2. I do not particularly like the character but it seemed correct for him to be involved if he was alive.

BTW, I wrote a short story called Traitor, so check it out when you get the chance.

Also, FYI, contrary to what you might think, Azula is my favorite character. I was VERY excited to finally write her. I hope I did her justice.

Lastly, a few people have mentioned in reviews that there are not enough non-ship fictions would just plot like this one. I would like to point out that Second Nature by Rosemary is an excellent fic of that nature if you haven't read it already. You can check it out on the forums of the avatarspirtitmediadotnet website.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

oOoOo

_"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you lost your way." - Iroh "The Old Masters" Season 3, Episode 19_

oOoOo

Hakoda felt the blood pumping quickly through his veins as they approached the area of the temple that his children were staying. Ever since his capture he had dreamed of this moment and was terrified that he would fail in his endeavor to escape and see his children again. Somehow, he managed to beat the odds and find his children. He couldn't wait to hold them in his arms again and never let go.

"Aang's training but Sokka and Katara should be here," Jet said as they entered the courtyard. Appa was lounging near the fountain, his belly rising and falling steadily as he slept, his breath coming out in low snore.

Suddenly a figure came out of the temple holding a bundle of blankets. Hakoda immediately recognized his daughter and felt his eyes well with tears. "Katara!"

Katara immediately stopped and looked over to her father, an expression of shock planted firmly on her face that quickly changed into tears as she dropped the blankets and ran into Hakoda's arms. Hakoda wrapped his arms around his daughter in a loving embrace.

It had only been a few weeks since he had last seen his daughter, but it seemed just in that short time she looked older and wiser than the little girl who enjoyed making snow pies back home. Or maybe it was the stress of ending this forsaken war that was taking a toll on her youth. He doubted he himself was faring much better. But in this moment, he had found his family, and he was content in just holding onto her for a bit longer.

"H-How is this possible?" Katara exclaimed, returning his embrace with added strength. "How did you get here?" It was then that Katara noticed the Kyoshi warrior standing over by Jet. "Suki?"

Suki smiled and waved. "Hi."

"It's a long story," Hakoda replied. He was reluctant to let go of his daughter but he knew there were other urgent things to take care of and time was extremely important- and limited. "Where's Sokka and Aang? I need to talk to all of you about something, and it's urgent"

Katara looked concerned and confused, but held her questions for later. "Sokka's out hunting for dinner and Aang is training," Katara turned to Jet as she wiped the tears of joy from her face. "Jet, do you know where Sokka might be hunting?"

"Yeah," Jet replied nonchalantly, "I can get him for you."

"That would be good. Tell him to meet us where Aang is training."

Jet nodded slightly and then stalked off in the direction they had come. Katara turned back to Hakoda and Suki. "Come on, I'll take you to Aang."

Hakoda nodded and followed his daughter as she led them to another courtyard in the temple. After a brisk walk for a quarter of a mile, they turned a corner and Hakoda immediately saw Aang. He was dodging some rocks being thrown by the young lady named Toph. Aang was attempting to bend the rocks back to her with a little less accuracy than the blind earth bender.

"Aang!" Katara called out and the barrage of rocks ceased. Aang looked over and was immediately taken by surprise, dropping the few rocks he had been holding up with his bending. "Hakoda, Suki? Is that really you guys."

"Sure is," Suki said with a wide smile.

"Wow!" Aang exclaimed excitedly. "How did you guys get here?"

"We escaped from prison, naturally," Hakoda replied heartedly with a grin.

"That's amazing," Aang replied.

"DAD!" A call came from behind. Hakoda turned around and was immediately wrapped in an embrace by his son. "Dad, it's really you!"

Hakoda held his son close, "It really is." If he thought Katara has changed in the time they'd been apart, he was unprepared for the young man he now held in is arms. Sokka's thin lanky arms were lean with toning muscle and he was more than sure that he heard a smidgen of deepening in his voice. Of course, it could be his old mind playing tricks on him- a guilt mechanism torturing him for the lack of time he'd spent with them- but he was happy to see them just the same.

Sokka looked nearly close to tears but managed to keep a dry face. "How did you escape?"

"With a little help," Hakoda replied and inclined his head towards Suki.

It was then that Sokka noticed her and immediately leapt over to her to give her an embrace. "Suki!"

"Hi, Sokka," Suki said warmly as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. Hakoda noticed a slight wetness in her eyes as she held onto his son.

"This is so incredible," Aang said. "How did you guys get here after you escaped?"

"With a lot of help and little luck," Hakoda replied, his face becoming more serious. As wonderful it was to bask in this reunion, he had reason for getting the group together and now was the time tell them why. "And in fact, that's why I wanted to see you Aang, I'm going to need your help."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Well, you remember Prince Zuko?"

"Yeah, wh—"

Aang was suddenly cut off by the voice of an older man. "What do you have to say about my nephew?"

Hakoda turned and saw an older gentleman, obviously Fire Nation, come from the other side of the courtyard. Despite his old age, he looked surprisingly muscular and lean.

"Nephew?" Hakoda asked, completely taken aback by the presence of this stranger.

"Dad," Sokka cut in, "This is Prince Iroh from the Fire Nation, Zuko's uncle. He's been teaching Aang how to firebend."

Hakoda was a little surprised at the revelation, although he knew who his son was talking about- the famed Dragon of the West. He had heard stories of the long siege at Ba Sing Se, though he never imagined he would meet the man, never mind find him helping Aang learn how to firebend. His actions were as treasonous as the definition itself, punishable by death or worse.

"Do you have news of my nephew?" Iroh's voice was strained, obviously full of concern for the young boy.

"I do," Hakoda replied. His children seemed to trust this man, so he would as well, for now. "He was in the same prison as me."

"The Boiling Rock," Iroh nodded.

"Yes," Hakoda confirmed. "He was being horribly mistreated and nearly died of a fever, so when I formulated a plan to escape I tried to taking him with me. Unfortunately something went wrong."

Iroh's face suddenly flashed with horror, and Hakoda could read his expression in his eyes. _Is he dead? _"I had to include some other prisoners in order for the plan to work and they turned on me. They decided to keep Zuko and plan to turn him in to the Fire Nation for the ransom and they forced Suki and me to leave the ship we had stolen. This happened about a week ago"

"So he is alive," Iroh said with a breath of relief.

"He is," Hakoda confirmed.

"Are you serious?" Sokka chimed in. "Why would you help that angry jerk?" Sokka then quickly glanced to Iroh, "No offense."

"None taken," Iroh replied softly.

"Sokka, I know you told me what he did to you, Aang, and your sister, but you didn't see him in that place. He was treated worse than any of the other prisoners, and they treated us pretty bad as it was. I couldn't leave him there, he was sure to die- and no child deserves that fate.

Hakoda glanced at Iroh, who looked utterly miserable. Hakoda could plainly see that this man deeply cared for his nephew, and it suddenly made Hakoda angry. "You knew he was there, why didn't you try to get him out?" Part of Hakoda knew he was being irrational, but he and Zuko and grown close over the past weeks. After seeing the treatment the prince received from his father, he was hard pressed to be convinced that the Fire Lord's brother wasn't just as unprincipled.

"I wish I could have," Iroh replied solemnly. "I was in a prison myself until the eclipse. When I escaped during the invasion, I wanted to go and rescue my nephew, but I couldn't conceive of a way to accomplish this successfully. You know the security of that place. I had to make a choice, and I chose to help Aang in hopes that I would eventually be able to save my nephew."

Hakoda looked at Iroh and read the honesty in his eyes. He could see the logic of his reasoning. It was a general's logic. You don't waste your assets on hopeless missions. Iroh was better served assisting Aang, and he knew it. Zuko was not as vital to stopping this war as Aang was. It was a harsh truth.

Hakoda nodded silently, accepting the reason and then turned back to his children. "I made a promise, I told him I would get him out prison and I intend to keep it- but I can't do it on my own."

"If what you say is true," Katara replied, "then we need to help him, but the real question is how?"

"Katara, do you know what are you are even saying?" Sokka exclaimed, "This is _Zuko_ we're talking about! You know, the angry jerk who kept trying to capture us! We can't just stop what we're doing to save a guy who isn't even our friend."

"Sokka," Suki cut in softly. "I know you don't like him, and you have every reason not to, but you didn't see what they did to him. And besides…Zuko saved my life."

Sokka simply stared wide eyed, jaw dropped. "_What_?"

"It's true, Sokka," Hakoda replied, placing a steady hand on his son's shoulder. "Zuko stepped in front of an arrow meant for Suki when we were escaping. He also was invaluable to the escape effort. I don't think I could have pulled it off without his help."

"Well, then it's settled," Aang chimed in with finality. "We have to help Zuko. Do you know where he is?"

Hakoda frowned, "Not exactly. But I have an idea. He was taken by a man named Chit Sang who was a part of the escape. He constantly insisted we travel east when I wanted to go north. There are a few occupied cities in the Earth Kingdom he would want to go to."

"Chit Sang, you said?" Iroh interjected.

"Yes…you know him?"

"I know of him. I remember hearing about his trial," Iroh replied solemnly. "He was a very brutal man, involved in many illegal trades such as weapons, slavery and prostitution. He was the head of a very large group involved in organized crime that was brought down about six years ago."

Hakoda nodded, "That doesn't surprise me. In the prison he had a gang of followers that did everything he said without question."

"I remember it was reported that he often worked out of Rushu to avoid authorities, an occupied town in the Earth Kingdom. It's the perfect kind of place for criminals like him."

"Then we'll look there first."

"Are you sure that Zuko would still be with this Chit Sang person?" Katara asked. "You said he was taken a week ago, what if he's been sold back already?"

"I don't know, but I suspect he'll want to establish himself in a safe place before pursuing the bounty. There would be a bounty on Chit Sang's head as well, so he wouldn't want to risk capture himself."

"Nevertheless," Iroh added, "We should leave immediately."

"Agreed," Hakoda replied. "How soon can we be ready to go?"

"An hour," Katara answered, "Maybe half that if we hurry."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Aang exclaimed.

"Wait a second." Jet, who had been silent during the whole exchange, looked at them with a severe frown. "If you think I'm going to help you save some Fire Nation guy, you're mistaken."

"No one asked you to come," Sokka spat back.

"Good!" Jet turned and stalked off without another word.

"Hey! Don't walk away from me!" Sokka yelled, completely incensed at Jet's action.

"It's just as well," Hakoda replied, "We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves in Rushu, the fewer the better."

"Who do you think should go?" Aang asked.

"No more than five." Hakoda looked around at the group. "Suki, Toph, you two should probably stay behind. We need to make sure the camp is defended anyway."

The group agreed and then immediately dispersed to grab their weapons and supplies. As soon as they were ready, they woke Appa from his afternoon nap and set off.

oOoOo

Chit Sang stepped on to the firm Earth Kingdom ground with a wide smile on his face. After more than a week on board the Fire Nation ship, he was relieved to finally be back on land.

Chit Sang looked around and chuckled softly. After six years of imprisonment the town of Rushu was still as dilapidated and shady as ever. Just the way he liked it. Chit Sang turned back to his men who were securing the rigging on the dock and then called to the man standing by the ramp. "Let's go, Jing."

Jing nodded and lifted a dirty sack over his shoulder. It wouldn't do to have the prince taken through town in plain sight.

The two men walked through the town as if they belonged. Poor Earth Kingdom women bustled along the markets, careful to stay out of the way of the few Fire Nation soldiers that roamed the streets. No one gave them any trouble as the strolled on by and it didn't take long before they reached their destination, The Boar's Head Inn. It was a two story building with a rusty sign hanging off of one hinge. The door squeaked loudly as they pushed it open. Chit Sang could hardly wait to have a large glass of their mead. It wasn't the best mead in the world, but after years in prison, it would probably taste like the finest drink he'd ever had.

Chit Sang entered the inn and immediately headed for the back room without hesitation. The inn itself was fairly empty, with only a couple of sailors playing a game of dice in the corner. The sun came through in dusty streaks from the shutters that hung loosely on the windows. The only other occupants were the bartender and a scruffy young man sitting down by the entrance to the back room. As soon as Chit Sang arrived, he looked up with a sneer on his face.

"What do you want?"

"Tell Pengfei that Chit Sang is here to see him," Chit Sang responded, ignoring the attitude- _for now_.

At the mention of his name, the man's eyes widened in surprised and he immediately leaped up. "Yes, of course. Come on in."

Chit Sang walked into the back room were a lone table was set up and currently empty. Chit Sang sat down and made himself comfortable as the man disappeared into another door to retrieve his boss. Jing sat down to his left and placed his heavy burden onto the chair next to him.

Chit Sang didn't wait long before hearing Pengfei's scratchy voice. "Chit Sang? Is that really you?"

"Sure is," Chit Sang said with a loud guffaw. "Miss me much?"

"The business hasn't been the same without you!" Pengfei replied.

"I bet."

Pengfei was a short stocky man, late into his sixth decade. He had a short fuzzy beard that peppered his face and he kept his head shaved. His clothes were old and torn, but freshly washed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Mead please; one for Jing as well."

"Yes, of course," Pengfei turned to the doorman and waved him out. "Go get 3 cups of our finest."

That caused another loud guffaw from Chit Sang, "There's nothing fine about your mead, but there's nothing better in this shitty town."

Pengfei sat down across from the men, eying the gray sack curiously before responding. "Chit Sang, you wound me. Of course, I heard from a birdie that you were to be locked away for life, and here you are in front of me. Care to explain?"

"Not much to tell," Chit Sang replied. "I escaped. Did you expect any less?"

Pengfei chuckled, "No, I did not- took your damn time in getting out, though. The business has suffered...just not the same without you."

"Anyone take my place while I was gone?"

"Huo has tried to take over, got some followers, but most of us are still loyal to you. I'm sure you can get rid of him easy enough." The older man contemplated with a lazy wave.

"Good, good." The mead finally arrived and Chit Sang took a long satisfying sip. "Oh, it's been too long."

"Indeed," Pengfei replied, even though he was referring to Chit Sang's absence rather than the mead. Pengfei took a long a sip himself. "Though, I have to admit, I'm terribly curious as to what's in the sack."

Chit Sang chuckled, "Well, you didn't think I'd come back empty handed? No, I got something that will get the business back up and running in no time."

"Oh?"

"Jing, show him."

Without saying anything, Jing untied the opening of the sack and pulled the fabric down to reveal the young prince underneath. He was unconscious as he sat slumped in the chair, his forehead damp with sweat from being inside the sack. The boy's face was also discolored with sickly yellow bruises that looked to be a few days old. Pengfei's jaw dropped as he recognized the son of the Fire Lord. "_How_?"

"He was in the same prison with me, who knows why," Chit Sang replied and then took another swig of his mead. "Long story short, when we escaped he came along. Now he's our prisoner...until we can sell him back to the Fire Lord, of course."

"You're one crafty prick, Chit Sang, you know that?"

Chit Sang chuckled, "Of course I need your help."

Pengfei grinned widely, "Of course. I'll start seeing what the birds have to say about a bounty for a prince."

Chit Sang nodded in satisfaction. "Good. And in the meantime I need a place to keep him."

Pengfei reached into his pocket and pulled out a large key ring. He carefully looked through the various keys before finding the one he was looking for. The stubby man quickly removed the key and tossed it to Chit Sang who snatched it out of the air. "Welcome back, boss."

"It's good to be back," Chit Sang grinned as he took Jing's untouched mead and swallowed it in one gulp. "My men will be here shortly. Make sure they're taken care of. I'll be downstairs, let me know as soon as you hear anything."

Pengfei nodded, "Of course."

oOoOo

They had traveled well into the night before finding a small island to rest for the night. Hakoda wanted to keep going but they couldn't push Appa anymore than they already had. He was already flying as fast as he could and his breath was labored as a result.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning," Aang said with a yawn as they landed on the small stretch of beach.

Hakoda nodded in agreement and the group settled down for a modest meal before wrapping themselves in their blankets to sleep. Hakoda tried to sleep himself but he was too restless to achieve any sort of sleep. With a sigh, Hakoda lifted himself up and decided to take a walk around the island.

It was a small island, probably no more than two miles. Other smaller islands peppered the crescent shaped reef. There was wildlife, though scarce. He heard a few birds chirping in the trees as he walked through the center of the island. Once he completed his walk around the beach he walked back to the camp to find Iroh sitting upright and brewing some fresh tea.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Hakoda asked.

"No, I could not," Iroh replied as he pulled two cups from his sack and then poured out equal portions. "I thought you might like some tea, I find it relaxing."

"Couldn't hurt," Hakoda said as he took the small cup from the older man's grasp. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," Iroh replied as he took a small sip from the steaming brew.

Hakoda took a small sip himself. It was a little too hot for his taste, but it was quite good. "Wow, that's excellent."

Iroh gave Hakoda a gentle smile, "I'm glad you like it."

Hakoda lifted a brow as he regarded the elder prince. "You're not what I would have expected from a man who was once destined to be the Fire Lord."

"No, I imagine I am not." Iroh agreed solemnly, "Life rarely treats us the way we expect it to."

Hakoda nodded as he took another sip of the sweet tea. "You must be anxious to find your nephew."

Iroh was silent for a moment as he regarded Hakoda's words. Eventually he spoke, calm and measured. "I had hoped I made the right decision leaving him in the prison. I knew it would be hard for him, but I thought he would be safe. I was sadly mistaken."

"There was no way you could have known."

Iroh shook his head slowly. "No, I should have. I know my brother better than anyone. He has no love for anyone, not even his children. He wouldn't want his son to have an easy time in prison"

"I hear he favors his daughter, though," Hakoda replied, finding it unbelievable that anyone could not love their children.

"…because of her natural gift at firebending, not because of their blood relation." Iroh replied as he slowly sipped his tea. "He finds her useful, nothing more."

Hakoda looked over at Katara and Sokka who were both sleeping peacefully beneath the soft moonlight. "I can't imagine feeling that way about my children."

"Neither can _I_," Iroh replied softly. "But such is the harsh reality of my brother and his children. I have done my best to be there for Zuko, but I'm afraid it wasn't enough."

Hakoda turned his attention back to Iroh and looked him in the eye. "But you're here now, trying to help him."

"I fear it may be too little too late, if what you say is true."

"We'll find him," Hakoda said softly. It was weak, he knew, but he wanted to reassure the man though he had doubts himself.

"You know, when I first found Aang to teach him, your son begged me to tell him where you might be."

"Oh?"

Iroh poured himself and Hakoda another cup before responding. "Yes, he wanted to find you desperately- thought he was to blame for your capture. I must confess, I was tempted to say you might be at the Boiling Rock in hopes of finding my nephew as well. I had no way of knowing for sure if you where there and if something went wrong..."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't" Hakoda finished for him. "I would never want him risking himself like that for me."

Iroh nodded. "Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing at all."

"I'm sure Zuko will understand."

"I hope so" Iroh took another sip of his tea. "How did he seem to you when you were with him?"

Hakoda hesitated for a moment and took sip of his second cup of tea. He wasn't sure what he should say, but he looked in the man's eyes and realized he should just be completely honest. "Very sad," Hakoda spoke carefully. "He seemed ill in body and in spirit, but even so, surprisingly resilient."

"He has to deal with too much in his young life," Iroh replied solemnly, staring at the ground as spoke.

"In this world, hasn't everyone?"

"Hmm...very true." Iroh seemed lost in his own thoughts.

"We will find him." Hakoda tried to sound strong and comforting but he probably failed miserably.

"One can only hope." Iroh drained the last of the tea from his cup. "And we need a good night's rest if we are going to pursue our journey."

Hakoda silently agreed, and although he could still see the pain in Iroh's eyes he decided to let the man be. Sometimes there are things no words can fix. "Thank you for the tea."

"Anytime."

oOoOo

Zuko woke up to see steel bars in front of him. He blinked repeatedly but they refused to go away. With a groan he lifted himself up from floor, the chains around his wrists clinked lightly from the movement. Zuko soon realized he was in a fairly large cage. He had enough room to stand and lay down, but that was about it.

He looked around and noticed he was in some type of basement. There were a couple other cages about the same size as the one he was in. On the other side of the room stood a table and chairs with a few used, but unlit candles on top. The stone walls were completely bare. There was a large wooden door and only one small window with a thick stream of sunlight, his only source of light.

Zuko rubbed his head lightly. All he could remember was Jing coming into the cargo hold and whacking him hard in the head before he passed out. He certainly was sick of being hit in the head.

Before then he had been chained in the cargo hold since his suicide attempt. Chit Sang had whipped him a dozen times as punishment for his behavior and had his food rations reduced. Zuko had spent the next few days on the ship in a painful daze and his back still hurt from the wounds on his back.

Obviously they had reached their destination and now he was in some type of building, but he had no idea where. He was tempted to call for help, but quickly discarded the thought. Chit Sang would make sure he didn't attempt anything so foolish. They were probably in some isolated house where no one would hear him anyway.

Zuko silently cursed. It was certainly a new place, but the same old circumstance. He wished Hakoda was here, even if it was true that he had left him behind. When he was around there was still hope. Now there was just nothing…_absolutely nothing_.

Zuko leaned his head against one of the steel bars and stared at the floor. He just wished he could fall asleep and never wake up. He was sick of being alone, sick of being a prisoner, sick of all the pain, and sick of staring at the walls for hours at end wishing for the gnawing hunger in his stomach to go away.

Zuko sat against the bars and stared at the ground until light from the lone window began to fade away. It wasn't until the sun had completely set that he heard a door open. Immediately he sat up and saw Chit Sang enter the room, candle in hand, with another man he did not recognize following right behind him.

"Are you sure that information is good?" Chit Sang said to the man behind him.

"You know my sources are solid, you can trust what they say." the smaller man replied enthusiastically. "Have they ever lied to you before?"

Chit Sang smiled and turned to look directly at Zuko. "No, they haven't."

Zuko felt a surge of dread rush through his body at the look Chit Sang gave him. He knew without a doubt that whatever they were talking about it did not bode well for him.

"Good news, your highness," Chit Sang announced cheerfully. "Your father has put up a bounty of 50,000 gold pieces for you."

Zuko's eyes widened at the exorbitant amount of money his father had posted for a bounty. _All that money just to put him back in prison_. Did his father really hate him that much?

"And you want to know the even better news?" Chit Sang asked, ignoring Zuko's horrified look. He didn't even wait for Zuko to respond as he pulled out a large dagger from his belt and held it up. "Your sister is paying double for just your head."

oOoOo

They had traveled all the next day on Appa's back, not reaching land until just before sunset. As they approached the small town of Rushu, Hakoda kept an eye out for the cargo vessel they had escaped on. His eyes widened when he recognized the small ship. "There it is!" He exclaimed loudly. "Over there, that's the ship we stole."

"Are you sure?" Aang asked as he looked back at Hakoda.

"Positive." Hakoda replied with a solemn nod. The metal contraption had been seared into his mind since he and Suki were unceremoniously thrown off.

Aang nodded back and directed Appa to descend in a small grassy area near the dock.

"Do you think Zuko will be on the ship?" Katara asked.

"Probably not," Hakoda answered truthfully. "But I'm sure someone will still be on board or we can ask locals where they went." Hakoda then looked over to Iroh, his face was as cold as ice as he glared down at the small vessel. Hakoda could only imagine what the man was feeling in the moment.

Once they landed, everyone grabbed their weapons and followed Hakoda over to the dock. He moved in quick and measured steps, eager to find Zuko and fulfill his promise.

As they neared the ship, his suspicions were confirmed. The vessel was empty, but he boarded it anyway and the others followed. Once on board he heard some bottles clinking and turned to see the man Geming packing away some empty rum bottles.

"This is a private vessel, get-" Geming stopped in mid sentence as he realized who he was addressing. "H-Hakoda?"

"Where is Zuko?" Hakoda demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Geming replied as he shifted some bottles aside, obviously uncomfortable with the whole confrontation.

Hakoda wasted no time and descended on him. He was too fast for the toothless man before he could run anywhere and grabbed him by the shirt and place his sword against the man's neck. "Tell me where Chit Sang took Zuko."

"He's-He's at the B-Boar's Head Tavern," Geming sputtered as he cringed from the Water Tribe warrior.

"Where is it?" Hakoda demanded once more.

"G-Go down the s-street two blocks...a-and take a right...it-it's on the left."

"You better not be lying to me."

"I'm not! I swear!" Geming may be a criminal, but he was a survivor first…and there was no way he was going to lose his head withholding information about a fallen Prince of a nation who imprisoned him. The vagrant squirmed as he tried to pull himself away, but Hakoda didn't give him the chance to get away, knocking him hard on the head with the hilt of his sword. Geming collapsed to the deck without another word.

"Did you really have to knock him out?" Sokka asked warily, not used to seeing the cold violent side of this father.

"I can't risk him running off to try and warn Chit Sang." Hakoda turned to the others, "Let's go."

Everyone else nodded and made their way off the deck. Hakoda followed behind them and glanced quickly at the setting sun. He silently hoped that Zuko would be alright.

oOoOo

Zuko stared at Chit Sang, wondering if he heard the man correctly. However, he knew deep down it must be true. In fact, he should have expected no less from his malevolent sister.

"You get your wish, boy," Chit Sang said as he waved the dagger in front of him. "You get to _die_, only...this way is going to be a little bit more painful."

"You're going to do it here?" the smaller man asked.

"Of course, Pengfei, where else am I supposed to do it-" Chit Sang snapped back. "-on the street?"

"No, of course not. But let me get a blanket, I don't want to have wash up all the blood off the floor."

"Sure, go ahead."

Zuko barely heard the conversation going on before him. His body was completely numb. _His sister wanted him dead. He was going to die. He wanted to die. No. Not like this. Not like this. _

Suddenly he heard the clink of the lock and his cage door screeched open. "Get out."

Zuko didn't move. He couldn't.

"I said, get out!" Chit Sang spat as he reached for his arm and yanked him forcefully out of the cage. Zuko resisted, but there was no point. He was pulled from the cage with so much force that he stumbled onto the floor."

Zuko tried to get up and scramble for the door but his hair was suddenly yanked back painfully and he was forced into a kneeling position on the ground. "Pengfei, where's that blanket?"

"Right here," Pengfei replied as he ran back into the room and dropped the blanket in front of Zuko. "Try not to make too much of a mess."

"Yeah, whatever," Chit Sang replied as he pushed Zuko on top, still holding him by the hair.

Zuko closed his eyes and tried to focus through the pain. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't die like this. The Prince might have not had control over his life, but he'd be damned if he couldn't control his death. He tried to steady his mind and force what little strength he had left into his hands, but the familiar pool of heat would not come. Try as he might he couldn't get the flame to form in his hand.

Panic set in as he realized he couldn't firebend. It was his one and only weapon and it was inexplicably gone.

"Pengfei, do you have a sharper knife, this one's too dull. It will take forever."

"Here, use this one," Pengfei replied.

Zuko barely heard any of it. His ears were ringing as he tried desperately to think of something, anything to escape.

"This will do,"

All thoughts left his mind as he felt the cold, sharp, steel against the back of his neck. _No. No. No. It can't end like this..._

Suddenly a wave of heat erupted behind him and he fell forward. The shock left him dazed for the moment, but he was able to turn just in time to see Hakoda lunge at Chit Sang, sword in hand. Chit Sang had no time to react after the fire blast; his small dagger was nothing in comparison to Hakoda's weapon. One moment he was standing with the dagger in hand, the next a sword was protruding from his chest. Slowly he slumped to the ground, eyes wide in a mixture of shock and pain.

Zuko watched as the man who had tormented him for the past week died on the blanket meant for his own death. Zuko looked up, barely registering the fact the Pengfei was frozen in a block of ice, and saw his savior. Hakoda. _He came back. He came back..._

Zuko hardly had any time to process what had just happened before his heart skipped another beat. Behind Hakoda was someone he had longed to see since his torment had begun so many months ago.

"Uncle," Zuko whispered; his voice raw and pained.

"Zuko," Iroh said in return, his eyes overflowing with tears.

Uncle!" Zuko cried as he flung himself into his uncle's arms-ignoring the scrapes and bruises that littered his body and buried his face into his shoulders. This couldn't be real, but it was. His uncle was here. His uncle had come to save him. Amidst all the confusion he knew one thing for sure. He was finally safe.

oOoOo

A/N - Yes I know, it's been a long time since I last updated. I apologize for the long wait. I've been insanely busy and also a little bit of writers block didn't help. But if it's any consolation, I made this chapter a little bit longer than what I normally write.

Also, I got mixed reaction from the last chapter. I understand some people may not agree with where I went with it and I actually appreciate their reasons. Writing is always a learning experience and it's also especially difficult to write other people's characters. I always appreciate constructive criticism. My goal with writing this fanfiction was not only to explore another possibility, but to get back into writing and try to improve it. So thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it has been extremely helpful to me.

As for the suicide thing, I alot of people pointed out that Zuko would be to proud to just give up like that and too determined for another. For one, we've seen cracks in his armor such as when his siister captured him at the end of Season 2. So it was in my opinion, that when the despair become to much he might react this way. Plus I also saw it as him keeping control in an admittely, unconventional way. I definitely debated whether to go through with it or not, and obviously in the end I decided to go for it. There's also another purpose it serves which will be obvious in later chapters. I understand if you don't agree with my reasoning, but I just thought I'd respond to some of the observations.

No idea when I'll get chapter 13 done. I'm still incredibly busy since I'll be at Otakon and Connecticon, but I will try my best not to keep you waiting 2 months again.

As always, thanks to RueBroadway for beta reading.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

oOoOo

_"__It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." - Katara "The Crossroads of Destiny", Season 2, Episode 20_

oOoOo

Hakoda stood in the small basement, blood splattered on his tunic. He never found any joy in killing, but he felt deeply satisfied that Chit Sang was no longer alive. The guilt he felt at allowing this dangerous criminal to escape was slightly vindicated.

Hakoda also could not help but be impressed with his children. Once they had arrived at the Tavern, Chit Sang's men tried to fight them off but were quickly taken care of with well practiced bending and the help of a boomerang. As it turned out, their speed saved Zuko's life. When Hakoda burst into the basement and saw Chit Sang holding the knife against Zuko's neck, he snapped. Without a second thought he plunged the sword into Chit Sang's chest.

Hakoda looked over to Zuko and Iroh embracing as a smile crept on to his face. Finally, after all they had been through, Zuko was reunited with someone he loved. His promise had been fulfilled, and even more so, he felt like a small sense of justice had been returned to this wretched world.

Hakoda turned his head from Zuko and Iroh to look around the room. It was a shoddy little basement and it didn't take him long to notice a piece of parchment on the table. He picked it up and read the contents quickly, his eyes widening as he comprehended the words on the paper. "Alright everyone, we need to leave."

"Agreed," Iroh said as he lifted Zuko from their kneeling position. Zuko seemed to waver uncertainly as he tried to get off the floor and leaned heavily against his uncle. "Will you be okay, Zuko?"

Zuko nodded and attempted to stand up. As soon as he was standing he wavered lightly before losing consciousness, entirely.

"Whoa," Iroh said caught Zuko and supported the limp body.

"Do you need help?" Aang asked an expression of genuine concern on his face.

"I'll be fine," Iroh replied as he lifted the extremely thin boy's feet off the ground. "He's not that heavy."

Hakoda hated the truth in that statement, but now was not the time to lament on Zuko's abuse. With another cursory glance, he found a ring of keys and grabbed them quickly. Hopefully one of them would unlock the chains on the boy. "Let's go,"

"Are we...are we just going to leave him here?" Katara asked, her voice wavering.

Hakoda looked over towards his daughter and frowned deeply. She was staring at Chit Sang's body, obviously upset at seeing the man dead on the floor. "I know it's not pleasant, Katara," Hakoda replied softly. "But we need to leave before someone finds us. I don't like it any better than you do."

Katara nodded and turned quickly, following Aang and Iroh, who had already started to walk back up the stairs.

"Dad, are you going to take your sword?" Sokka asked.

Hakoda looked back at Chit Sang's body and then slowly shook his head. "No, I don't need it anymore." The truth was he was disturbed. Disturbed at how happy he was to see the man dead. He didn't like the feeling and did not want to ever touch that weapon again. Besides, now that he was free, he could make another weapon for himself- a Water Tribe weapon that suited his liking much better than the harsh Fire Nation steel that thirsted for blood.

"Let's go." Hakoda reached for his son's shoulder and lead him back up the stairs. As they walked through the inn they saw the other escapees, still incapacitated on the floor. One of the moaned in pain, but he barely paid them any mind.

Once they were back on Appa they immediately took off and left the rundown town behind.

After being in the air for a while and the land was no longer in sight, Katara looked to her father with questioning eyes. "I thought you said they were going to sell Zuko back. Why did they try to kill him?"

Hakoda looked over at Katara as he began to use the various keys on the ring to try and remove Prince's chains. Zuko was lying on Iroh's lap, still unconscious. Without a word, Hakoda pulled the parchment he had taken from the basement from his pocket and handed it to his daughter. He couldn't help but notice that she hesitated to take the note, but she took it anyway. "His sister wanted him dead."

Katara read the document, her eyes widening in horror. "That's horrible- how could she-he's her brother!" It must have been hard for Katara to imagine such a scenario, Hakoda mused as he continued working through the keys. Despite the many quarrels she and Sokka would engage in, they both loved each other dearly.

"She wants to be Fire Lord," Iroh said suddenly as he lovingly pushed a stray lock from his nephew's face. "Only one person can really prevent that from happening."

"That's just wrong" Sokka said in a low voice as he glanced quickly at his own sister. The atmosphere was very heavy and quiet as they all sat in silence, only to be broken by a soft click and the clatter of chains as they fell off Zuko's wrists.

"That's better," Hakoda muttered and then tossed the chains and keys off the saddle and into the ocean.

"Katara," Iroh said, once Hakoda's task was completed. "Could I trouble you to use your healing ability on my nephew?"

"Oh! Of course," Katara replied as she leaped up from her sitting position and made her way over to Zuko. She seemed almost too happy to have something to do. Hakoda certainly didn't like the looks she was giving him after what happened in the basement. He never wanted her to see him kill like that, even if it was to save Zuko's life, she didn't like it at all. Sokka, on the other hand, seemed to be okay with it.

Katara wasted no time and took the water she always carried with her and formed it around her hands. Once she was ready she placed her hands on Zuko's chest and the water began to glow. Hakoda remembered the feeling of her healing touch when he was injured during the invasion. It was weird sensation, as if ice was flowing through his veins only to be replaced by comforting warmth.

"There are so many injuries," Katara said as she concentrated on her healing. "I can't heal them all."

"Do what you can and we'll take care of the rest later," Hakoda replied.

Katara nodded without looking at her father and then closed her eyes as she focused on her healing. Zuko only stirred slightly but never woke. After a few minutes of healing, Katara pulled her hands away and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "That will have to do for now." She looked dismayed that she was unable to do more for the battered teen.

"Thank you," Iroh said as he held his nephew close to him once more. "He already seems to be resting more easily."

Iroh was right, Zuko's brow was no longer furrowed in pain and his limbs seemed more relaxed while his face was no longer covered in bruises. He was still too thin to look healthy, but it certainly was a major improvement.

Katara nodded and moved back from Zuko, settling back into a seating position. She looked at Zuko for a few moments before speaking again. "I can't believe what they did to him...I never really liked him...but I never would have wished..." Katara faltered, unable to put words to her thoughts.

"It is a complicated situation," Iroh replied calmly. Hakoda silently agreed. He remembered how torn the boy was about betraying the Fire Nation to escape the prison his own father had put him in. He certainly didn't know everything that happened to Zuko, but he knew it was far more than any young man should be forced to ordeal.

"He's safe now," Hakoda spoke up after a moment of silence. "We can help him heal."

Katara nodded before Sokka responded, "Are you sure he wants our help? What if gets better and tries to take Aang again?"

"He won't," Iroh replied.

"How do you know?" Sokka asked, looking slightly frustrated as he tried to be logical about the situation. "Obviously we trust you, you're helping Aang, but we have no reason to trust him."

"Sokka," Aang cut in, who had been quiet most of the time and looked at Zuko with quiet consideration. "I don't think he'll be ready to try anything anytime soon, besides remember what Iroh told us before? Catching me was a way back home. I don't think he has a way back home now, even if he captures me."

"Aang is correct," Iroh replied. "Any hope Zuko had of returning by capturing Aang was gone when he was imprisoned. Even if my brother would accept him back, which I doubt, his sister would do everything in her power to get rid of him."

"I don't know," Sokka said with eyes furrowed in doubt, "I still don't think we can trust him."

"I do," Hakoda replied. Inwardly he thought,_ I can only hope he still trusts me._ He still felt incredibly guilty about leaving him behind. He knew it was for the best, but if he had only been a minute too late Zuko would have died. In the short time he had come to know the young prince he had come to deeply care about him. That much he knew for sure.

"Alright, alright," Sokka said, conceding the argument but still sounding frustrated. "If we can trust him, it would be good to have another firebender on our side, even though fire is the lamest element."

"Do you think he would be on our side, though?" Katara asked, ignoring her brother's weak joke. "I mean, it's one thing not to chase us around, but that doesn't mean he will help us."

"We'll let Zuko decide that for himself when he's better," Hakoda answered. "Right now the important thing is that Zuko heals and Aang keeps training to become a firebender."

The group nodded in agreement and changed their discussion to lighter topics as they made their long journey back to the Western Air Temple.

oOoOo

Zuko once again had the unpleasant feeling of not quite knowing where he was as he slowly regained consciousness. He did know, however, that for once his body was not crying out in agony. In fact it felt better than it had in months. There was still some pain, but much of it was dull and minor.

Zuko blinked as he opened his eyes, his vision slowly coming into focus. He found he was lying on the floor of a room with stone walls. There were a couple of windows cut into the wall that let a fair amount of sunlight in and he noticed he was lying on a grey woolen mat. Slowly Zuko began to lift himself up and noticed a rotten wooden door that was left wide open.

He could hear voices echoing through the halls though he couldn't place who they were. It was too disorienting, waking up in another unfamiliar place, but for once it wasn't in a locked room with new cuts and bruises.

Just as he was trying to stand up a figure appeared in the doorway. It startled Zuko, but he immediately recognized the man as his beloved uncle.

"Uncle," Zuko said, almost afraid that he wasn't really seeing him, but couldn't help the small flood of relief.

Iroh came into the room and guided Zuko back down onto the mat. "You should rest, Nephew. You've suffered through a lot and your body is not done healing."

Zuko quietly complied and laid back down on the floor, his muscles tingling from their brief attempt at movement. "Where are we?"

"The Western Air Temple," Iroh answered softly as he settled himself on the floor next to him.

Zuko nodded as the pieces of his memory fell back into place. He vaguely remembered what happened when Chit Sang had tried to kill him. He knew Hakoda had been there and he was fairly certain he saw the Avatar and the Water Tribe Siblings as well before he finally blacked out.

Zuko felt strange. He knew he was safe and that the Avatar and his friends were involved. The voices he heard down the hall must be them. There certainly was no desire to leave or try to fight them; his body wouldn't let him anyway. However, the lack of desire was strange in and of itself, and it was very disconcerting to know he was at their hideout with his uncle after chasing them across the world for so long. He knew Hakoda had something to do with them coming to help him, which made his stomach do some strange flips. How much did they know what about what happened to him? The last thing he could stomach right now was pity from the Avatar and his friends.

Zuko tried to push those thoughts away and focus on his uncle. Ever since he had been in prison he longed to see him again and once again travel the ocean playing Pai Sho. He longed to say how much his uncle meant to him and to say he was sorry-for everything. Despite all this, he pushed those words that were on the tip of his tongue and instead asked, "What are you doing with the Avatar?"

Iroh gave Zuko a sad smile before he replied, "Doing my part to see this war come to an end."

"What do you mean?"

"This world has suffered long enough," Iroh said carefully. "The Avatar can help to restore balance. In order for him to accomplish his task he must learn all the elements."

Zuko immediately lifted himself off the mat into a sitting position. "Are you saying you're helping the Avatar learn firebending? That you're betraying the Fire Nation?" The discovery was startling in ways he really couldn't put to words, despite the fact that it wasn't all too surprising that his uncle was helping the Avatar.

"Zuko," Iroh said as he placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "The world is not so black and white. What I am doing is to help the Fire Nation, not hurt it. Your father is on a path that will not only destroy the world but the Fire Nation as well."

Zuko looked away, not sure what to say to that. The truth of his uncle's words stung him deeply. He loved his country and wanted to do what was best, but his own father had locked him up for failing a practically impossible mission- a mission he was sent on for simply talking out of turn. He knew deep down it was wrong, but it just wasn't that simple. He had fought so hard for the benefit of the Fire Nation, how could all of that now be wrong? Wasn't this war _for_ the benefit of the entire world?

"I'm so sorry, Zuko," Iroh suddenly said after Zuko was silent for some period of time. "I wanted to save you, I wanted to rescue you from that prison, but I couldn't."

"What do you mean?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

Iroh sighed heavily, considering his words before finally speaking them. "I escaped from prison during the eclipse, when the Fire Nation capital was invaded...I...I had a choice... to try and find you or help the Avatar."

Zuko's eyes widened slightly as he felt his stomach completely drop. His veins felt like ice as the words sink in. "You mean...you helped the enemy...instead of me?"

"Zuko, please," Iroh sounded almost desperate. "I thought I was helping you, I wasn't even sure if I could get you out of the Boiling Rock. I thought you'd be safe...safe until Aang-"

"-Killed my father?" Zuko finished, meeting his uncle's eyes with a cold, quiet fury.

"Zuko-"

"Leave." All those months of suffering in that prison, of missing his uncle and wondering if he was suffering too, all those months of worrying and pain and agony, and his uncle chose to help the Avatar instead of him? It was too much, too painful. He wanted to scream and kick and throw things, but instead he sat there, deathly quiet as his uncle looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm so sorry, nephew, I-"

"Leave." Zuko repeated sternly.

Iroh sat there, quiet for a moment as he regarded his nephew and then slowly stood up from the floor and left the room.

Zuko stared at the door, still wide open. He felt a sudden pang in his heart when his uncle left, but he knew he couldn't ask him to come back and he was not sure if he wanted him to. Anger and pain burned inside him and tried to let it out with a breath of fire, but once again nothing happened. Frustrated, Zuko slammed his fist against the floor. He wanted to cry but he forced himself to hold it in. The last thing he wanted was for the Avatar or one of his friends to walk in and see him crying.

Sure enough only moments later the Water Tribe girl appeared in the doorway holding a dish of water. "Oh, you're up," she said, obviously surprised to see him sitting there wide awake.

"Go away," Zuko said with a low voice.

Katara seemed to not hear him as she walked in and placed the dish of water down on the floor. Zuko gave her a sideways glance and was surprised at what he saw. She seemed somehow older and more confident of herself. She no longer wore her hair back in a braid, instead letting it fall wildly down her back. "Lay down," Katara said as she settled next to him. He recognized the necklace hanging from her neck, remembering how he had used it to mercilessly hunt down the Avatar. His stomach did a strange flip as he thought of the way they used to interact and wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect here.

"Go away," Zuko repeated his tone a little more angry. The situation was entirely too uncomfortable and he wanted to avoid it entirely, especially with the other confusing thoughts swirling in his mind.

"I can't, I'm supposed to heal you," Katara said in a tone that made her sound like she was speaking to a toddler.

"I don't need your help," Zuko responded as he glared angrily at the Water Tribe peasant. The idea that he would receive help from this person certainly did not sit well with him at all. Why would she even be willing to help in the first place?

"If you didn't have my help you'd be in a lot more pain right now." Katara said sternly as she carefully bended some of the water from the dish up into the air and held it before him. "I need to finish healing the last of your injuries."

"Don't touch me!" Zuko yelled as he suddenly jerked away from her. "I don't want your help!" He didn't want to be touched, not by her and not by anyone.

"_Fine_! Be a jerk!" Katara eye's furrowed in anger and she threw the water at his head, soaking his face and chest. Zuko blinked in surprise. His skin tingled in fury and he wanted desperately to throw fire right back at her but he knew it was impossible, so he held himself perfectly still so as not to do anything stupid.

Katara didn't even give him a chance to react anyway and stood up and immediately stomped out, leaving her dish behind.

Slowly Zuko wiped the water from his face with his sleeve and sat in angered silence. This place was almost worse than prison...almost.

"Ughhh!" Katara groaned as she walked furiously down the hall into the common area. "He's such a jerk!"

Hakoda blinked as he looked up from his work. They had been back at the Western Air Temple for a day now and Hakoda was working on making a brand new hunting knife. He wished he had better genuine Southern Water Tribe materials, but he had to work with what was around him. He had been in the process of sharpening his blade when Katara has stormed in.

"What's wrong?" Hakoda asked.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed in frustration. "I went to give him another healing session and he refused, wouldn't even let me touch him!"

"He's awake?" Hakoda asked. Ever since they had rescued him from Chit Sang he had been fast asleep, recovering from his ordeal. He expected the boy to probably sleep for another day.

"Yes," Katara said as she plopped down to the floor looking deflated, he anger slowly dissipating. "And instead of being grateful for my help he's refusing it. Some appreciation would be nice, you know."

"I know," Hakoda replied calmly. Katara seemed to be easily angered lately, and he wondered if it had something to do with the way things were handled back in Rushu. She had seemed genuinely disturbed at Chit Sang's death and when Hakoda tried to talk to her about it, she refused to. "Just remember, he's suffered a lot recently. I'm sure waking up to find you've been rescued by people you fought against for so long is probably just very confusing for him. I'll go talk to him."

"You think he'll listen to you?" Katara asked, with a brow raised in question.

"Maybe," Hakoda said as he stood up and walked towards the room where Zuko was. On the way he walked passed Iroh who was sitting on a small rock and looked utterly miserable. "Iroh...Zuko's awake you know..."

"I know," Iroh whispered. Hakoda barely heard is response.

"Are you going to-?"

"I already have," Iroh said and then stood up, avoiding eye contact with Hakoda, although his voice was steady and calm, betraying no emotion. "It's time to give Aang another lesson."

Iroh walked off, leaving Hakoda standing there confused. Something was really wrong about what just happened but he couldn't put his finger on it. With a sigh, Hakoda continued walking towards the room. When he opened the door he saw Zuko sitting on the map with his back against the wall. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and it looked like a bucket of water had been poured on him. He suspected Katara was responsible for that, and almost chuckled but held it in. Upon entering the room, Zuko looked up and met Hakoda in the eye.

"What do you want?" Zuko said with a tone of annoyance. "Can't anyone leave me alone?"

"Not when you deny healing from my daughter," Hakoda replied. "It's important she finish what she started."

"I'm fine now, I don't need any more _healing_-"

"I think Katara will be the judge of that, since she is the healer," Hakoda said in turn.

"What, I'm still not free to make decisions for myself?" Zuko spat back.

Hakoda could feel the anger in his words, an anger that had never been there before in any of their past conversations. Something was eating away at him, and considering the way Iroh had looked moments ago, there had to be a connection. "I'm not saying that at all. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Zuko looked a little surprised at that question. "What? No!"

"Zuko," Hakoda said, trying not to get too frustrated by the boy's stubbornness. He knew he had suffered too much and was to be allowed some leeway, but he did not want all the progress he had made with him to suddenly go away. "I know you've been through a lot, but we're only trying to help you."

"So leaving me to die is helping me?" Zuko yelled, tears threatening to spill down his cheek. It was then that Hakoda noticed that Zuko was shaking, and he couldn't tell if it was from anger or pain.

Hakoda knew he would probably have this conversation, but not so soon after he finally regained consciousness. With a soft sigh Hakoda sat down on the floor and looked Zuko in the eye. "Is that what you think happened?"

"He said as much!" Zuko answered sharply, holding his knees closer to his body.

"_He_?" Hakoda asked before realizing who Zuko was talking about. It wasn't about him, but rather his uncle. The misery on the old man's face suddenly made complete sense. "Iroh didn't leave you to die, Zuko. He thought he was doing the best thing for not only you, but everyone else."

"How would you know?" Zuko muttered, not looking Hakoda in the eye.

"Because," Hakoda answered, not wanting to say what he had to say, "I did the same thing. I left you with Chit Sang to save you. He was going to kill us otherwise."

"But you came back," Zuko responded meekly. "And you're not my uncle."

"That's true, but I did have a chance to speak with your uncle when we went to get you. He was devastated when he learned what happened. He honestly thought you would be safe until Aang faced the Fire Lord. He wanted to make sure he could safely get you out and then when he did you wouldn't be in the situation you're in now, hunted and wanted dead."

Zuko closed his eyes and seemed to consider Hakoda's words carefully before finally speaking. "I know...but...it's just...he's my uncle. After everything that my father had done, at least he actually cared about me."

"He still does."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"I know it's hard," Hakoda said, his heart aching slightly as he prepared to say what he was about to say. "Katara was angry with me when we finally reunited after years apart. She was angry with me because I had left her and her brother not long after their mother had been killed. It was a painful decision to leave, but I knew that as much as my children needed me, being there for them would mean nothing if I didn't do my part to try and end the war that would take away their chance at living free from tyranny. It's not an easy thing to try to choose the greater good over the immediate needs of those you cherish most, but we have to recognize what will be best in the long run. You are here, you're safe, and you uncle still loves you as much as he ever did."

"But you didn't leave your children to help someone they consider an enemy," Zuko replied, his eyes still furrowed in anger although his body language seemed less rigid.

"Is Aang really your enemy?"

"He's an enemy of the Fire Nation."

"And what allegiance do you owe to a nation that imprisoned you unjustly or a father that punished you unfairly?"

Zuko seemed to have nothing to say to that. They sat in silence for a moment, distant voices were heard coming through the window and a small gust of wind disturbed some of the dust on the empty windows. It was a telling silence, Hakoda thought. Whatever was going through the young man's mind was complicated and painful; way too much for someone so young to deal with.

"You've been through a lot, everyone at this temple has. There are no easy answers for what you're going through, but for now won't you let my daughter finish healing you? We can deal with everything else as it comes."

Zuko nodded silently before speaking, his voice cracking only slightly. "Okay."

"Good," Hakoda said, standing up and wiping the dust from his pants. "In the meantime I'll get you something to eat, you must be hungry."

That earned Hakoda another small nod. Hakoda smiled in return and went back down the hall to get his daughter. "Katara, come on, you can heal him now."

Katara look up eyes widened in surprise. "He listened to you?" He tone conveyed complete shock.

"Yeah" Hakoda decided not to get into the reasons at the moment and instead began rummaging through their supplies. "I'm going to get him some food. In the meantime you can finish healing him."

Katara looked at her father for a moment, silent and considering before standing up again, grabbing her water dish and making her way back to Zuko's room.

Hakoda sighed heavily. This situation was causing an unpleasant strain on their relationship, and the fact that Katara and Sokka's past enemy trusts their father the most is probably considered a bit strange to say the least.

Hakoda gathered up some fruit and fresh drinking water before finally returning to the room himself. Zuko was lying on the floor with Katara's healing hands placed on his chest. Katara's eyes were closed in deep concentration yet Zuko clearly looked uncomfortable. His body twitched a few times and the young waterbender worked her healing power.

When she was done she opened her eyes and looked down at Zuko. "Better?"

Zuko nodded slightly. "Yeah..." There was a small pause and then, "Thanks."

Katara smiled at that. "So you do know how to show appreciation."

Zuko glared at Katara for that comment but did not say anything.

Hakoda smiled and shook his head, coughing slightly to make his presence known. Both eyes turned to him and Zuko scrambled to sit back up. It was nice to see him look a bit more energetic, his skin free from wounds and bruises.

Hakoda knelt beside the mat and placed the food down. "Here, you need to eat."

Zuko's eyes shifted warily to Katara before reaching for a piece of fruit. However before he could take his first bite, Katara spoke. "Have you really changed?"

Zuko hesitated, looking at Katara, seemingly unsure of himself. "What...what do you mean?"

"Are you going to try and capture Aang again?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

Hakoda regarded his daughter as she spoke. Her whole body language exerted a sense of strength and fierceness. He knew she was fiercely loyal to Aang, especially when he almost died Ba Sing Se, and was not surprised by her need to hear from Zuko himself that the chase was over.

Zuko on the hand, was obviously weak and almost deflated. Despite the healing, he was still horribly underweight and lacking the muscular build he must have had when he was strong fighter. The tone of his voice seemed to match the body language he exuded. "No."

Katara looked Zuko in the eyes as she considered his answer and then glanced to her father. She clearly was trying to come to some sort of decision on how to approach this entire situation. She wrung her hands a little bit before finally speaking. "I believe you."

Hakoda smiled. He was proud of his daughter. Despite her strong emotions and sometimes explosive temper, clearly she was trying to extend _something_, if not exactly friendship, to Zuko, and he couldn't ask for anything more.

"Okay," Zuko muttered, finally taking the chance to take a bite of the apple he was holding. He clearly had no idea what to say and decided eating would be the best option right now.

"Well," Hakoda said, hoping to get rid of some of the awkwardness at the moment. "Why don't we let you eat, and maybe when you're done you can join us outside. Sound good?"

Katara and Zuko both nodded in unison.

oOoOo

Living amongst the Avatar and his friends was a very different experience. First he had to remember to actually call him Aang, which was sometimes hard to remember. Luckily he didn't have to deal with him too much as he was consumed by learning how to firebend with Iroh after his failure during the eclipse.

Zuko made the decision to act civil to them, since he didn't know what else he could do. He was considered an enemy pretty much anywhere and he had nowhere else to go. He might as well deal with the situation at hand and try to accept no matter how weird it was to be living with people you had once chased halfway around the world. It didn't help that the Avatar's friends were so strange that he didn't know what to expect half the time.

The earthbender, Toph, was an enigma. She came off as rough and crude and seemed to have fun making fun of people or playing jokes on them. He was completely nonplussed when he found out she was actually from a high class family in the Earth Kingdom.

Then there was Sokka, who gave him dirty looks everywhere he went. Zuko had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the fact the he and Suki were friendly with each other. When they would sit down to dinner, Sokka would place his arm around Suki possessively and just glare at him. It was kind of unnerving, so Zuko just ignored him completely.

There were also the other people that didn't seem to be part of the main group but hung around nonetheless. They were often hard to find, using most of their time to explore the temple area. That suited Zuko just fine.

Jet was another disturbing member of the group who seemed to be somewhat of an outcast himself but refused to even look at Zuko. One time when they passed in the hallway, Jet purposely shoved Zuko with his shoulder. He wasn't prepared for it and almost fell over. Jet muttered a sarcastic "Sorry" before continuing on his way. If he had been at his full strength and capable of firebending he would have gladly taught the insolent fool a lesson, but he knew that in his condition he would be lucky if he managed to keep his balance in a fight.

To make matters worse, his relationship was strained with his uncle. He still felt incredibly angry and yet he couldn't justify his reasons. It led to awkward conversations when they actually did find time to talk between Aang's training sessions. He wanted desperately to embrace his uncle again and say he forgave him, but every time the opportunity presented itself he just let it slip by.

The only people whose company he actually enjoyed was Hakoda, Suki, and Katara. It was easy to understand why he was able to interact with Hakoda and Suki easily, considering what they had gone through together, but with the waterbender it was confusing at best, and yet he found himself trying to start conversations with her. He couldn't place this feeling, and when he thought about it too much it just gave him a headache.

It wasn't until about two days after he began living with the Avatar's friend that Aang actually approached Zuko to talk to him. He had been working with Katara to make some new clothes for himself. His own prison garb was falling apart and absolutely disgusting. Besides, he wanted to desperately get out of the clothing that marked him as a prisoner of his own country.

Katara had decided to pull together some extra fabric to make something suitable for him to wear, but she demanded that Zuko help in the process. He found he was actually not at all disturbed to help in what he considered a woman's job. It was somehow relaxing, and with all the turmoil going on inside him, it was kind of nice to forgot about all that and focus on something constructive he could do.

He also enjoyed the fact that they worked on his clothing outside in the open. Now that he was free, he wanted to be outside as much as possible. They had found a nice spot to work where a tree had sprouted from the side of the cliff. They had a wonderful view of the canyon from where they sat, and the sun poked through the trees in uneven spots.

"I don't get it, how does this work?" Zuko asked, as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to attach the piece of fabric that was supposed to become a sleeve.

"Here, give it to me," Katara said as she put the two pieces together. "I find it easy sometimes to place the sleeve on my knee and sew around it that way, so the curve matches up better?"

"Huh?" Zuko was lost. Considering he was trying to learn how to sew from the beginning, he sometimes couldn't understand a thing Katara was talking about.

"Hey guys, what you doing?" Aang asked cheerfully as he walked over to where they were sitting.

"Working on some new clothes for Zuko," Katara answered as she began attaching the sleeve.

"You sew Zuko?" Aang asked, giggling slightly at the question.

"No, she made me helped." Zuko replied plainly. He'd be damned if he actually admitted he didn't mind sewing at all.

"They're your clothes!" Katara responded indignantly. "I'd like to see you do it without my help!"

"I wouldn't," Zuko said. What an absurd question. How could he do it without her help when he didn't know the first thing about sewing?

"That's right," Katara smiled. Zuko had a sneaking suspicion some point was just made, but he had absolutely no clue what it was.

"Cool," Aang said, his face becoming a little more serious. Zuko had been a little surprised when he first saw Aang after regaining consciousness. He was…different. And he wasn't sure how, but he certainly knew that he wasn't as childish as he was when they first met. Though, he was still pretty immature in some annoying ways.

It had unnerved him though when he stumbled upon him with his shirt off the other day. He saw a huge scar on the boy's chest and knew immediately who was responsible for it. He couldn't believe he had managed to survive a direct hit from Azula with her lightning, but he suspected Katara had something to do with it.

"Anyway, I was just getting ready to go train, I was just wondering…if maybe…I don't know…maybe you would want to join us, Zuko?"

"No." Zuko replied quickly.

"Really?" Katara asked. "I haven't seen you train since you got here? Wouldn't you want to practice, to you know, recover from…" Zuko's imprisonment was a subject they didn't normally broach, and Katara realized belatedly she had done just that.

"I'm fine." Zuko responded, ignoring the second part of her statement.

"Aww, come on, Zuko! It will be fun!" Aang whined like a two year old.

Zuko found his anger starting rise. "I said no! I'm not your friend!" He realized to late what he had said and how loudly he had said it. Both Katara and Aang looked at him with wide eyes.

"Oh, Sorry….I thought…" Aang didn't finish his thought as he ran off to meet Iroh at their designated training area.

Katara glared at Zuko as Aang ran off. When he was out of sight, she finally spoke. "Is that how you really feel."

Zuko was silent for a few moments, trying to choose his words carefully. No that was not how he felt. There was a part of him that would love to go train with Aang, even if he was still uncertain of where they stood with each other. However, no one knew he couldn't firebend. Late at night he would try when everyone was asleep in a secluded location, and nothing ever happened. The most he could get was a small puff of smoke. It was absolutely frustrating as well as humiliating and the last thing he wanted to do was admit his weakness, considering how weak he looked to them already.

Zuko looked Katara in the eyes, ready to answer with a yes just to keep his embarrassment secret, but something in those eyes made him hesitate. She was clearly angry, and yet at the same time there was a note of concern, as if she was trying to understand why he would deny the chance to make good with Aang.

Zuko knew then he couldn't keep the secret any longer. He didn't want to lie to her for some inexplicable reason. Maybe because he never liked to lie in the first place, and maybe, just maybe, she could help him with her healing abilities to get back what he had lost. With a sigh, he decided to be as honest as he could. "No, I just…I can't firebend anymore."

"Are you serious?" Clearly that was the last thing Katara expected to hear.

Zuko nodded, not wanting to repeat the words.

"When did this happen?"

"Around the time Chit Sang took me, I have no idea why." Zuko felt his stomach sink. He didn't want to remember his captivity. It was bad enough that he sometimes had nightmares.

"I'm sorry," Katara said solemnly, and suddenly Zuko was glad he told her. She was a bender, she understood how painful the loss would feel. She wasn't mocking him, but instead genuinely concerned.

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know what I should do about it."

"Have you told your uncle?"

"I haven't told anyone...except now you."

Katara was silent after hearing that, her mouth opened in the shape of an 'O'.

"Well if you thought I hated Aang you might not finish my clothes," Zuko added in attempt to lighten up the conversation. He really didn't want to talk about it anymore. He didn't like the serious conversation, if it could be helped.

Luckily this earned him a smile from Katara. "Well, at some point we should talk to the others about it, maybe they can help."

Zuko shrugged, "Okay, but not now. Right now I just want to sew."

"So you like sewing!" Katara said with excitement.

_Damnit_, Zuko thought. He wasn't supposed to admit that.

oOoOo

Azula hated small towns. They were so unapologetically dirty and disgusting. Plebeians dared to look at her as they passed her on the street, although with one sharp look they hurriedly shuffled off. This town was a wasteland- pathetic and unproductive. Honestly, how could anyone stand to live in such filth?

The Boar's Head Tavern turned out to be just as repulsive, it was practically falling apart. Azula didn't dare take a seat, you never know what kind of trash spent their time here and she wasn't about to sully her royal person with their filth.

"Where is Pengfei?" Azula demanded of the tavern's occupants, who looked terrified and ready to run out the door yet afraid to move for fear of gaining her notice. "Well? I demand and answer!"

Hesitantly, a small dirty man with a fuzzy beard and in severe need of a bath came forward, his body shaking slightly. "My lady, I am Pengfei."

"Well, where is he?" Azula demanded. She was not in a patient mood today. She came here for one reason only, to collect her brother's head.

"I'm sorry?" Pengfei asked, clearly confused.

"My brother, you idiot. I received word that you had my brother here, where is he?" Her patience was becoming thinner by the moment.

"I'm sorry my lady," Pengfei answered, he looked about ready to cry. "He was taken... by the Avatar"

Azula saw only red. She had traveled all the way to this revolting town for nothing. Added to that frustrating fact, not only was her brother still alive but he was in league with the Avatar as well. He worst fears were slowly becoming true. Without hesitation she shot a bolt of electricity straight through the puny man's heart. He had no time to respond and dropped to the floor in a charred heap. She then turned sharply to her men. "Lock everyone in and burn this tavern to the ground."

That earned terrified screams from the occupants, begging for mercy, claiming they had nothing to do with what had happened. Only one man said anything of interest, "My Lady, My Lady, I saw where the Avatar went!"

Azula turned to the man, a repulsive man with barely any teeth and no hair. "Speak."

"My Lady, they went west. I saw it. They traveled on the Avatar's flying beast!" Geming spoke quickly, desperately trying to say anything to change her mind.

"All you can give me is the direction they went?" Azula replied sternly.

"My Lady, I swear! That is where they went!"

Azula turned to her men and gave them a curt nod before walking out of the tavern. Without another word the doors were shut and locked. With no apparent effort, Azula set fire to the dilapidated building, making sure her flames landed on the windows and doors to prevent escape. Luckily Mai and Ty Lee had stayed on the ship, or they certainly would have objected and she didn't want to listen to them whine.

The flames spread fast, happily fueled by the dry rotten wood. Screams could soon be heard from inside the building as well as the sound of furniture crashing. One man dared to leap from the window and was covered in flames as result. It didn't take long at all for the entire building to be engulfed in searing hot flames.

As Azula walked away from the tavern, her lips twisted into a smile. _So that's where they're hiding._

_oOoOo_

A/N - So I'm working on writing longer chapters for your enjoyment. Also, if you're wondering if this is leading to a Zutara pairing, I can't say one way or the other. I'm not a fan of the pairing but I don't hate it either. I'm just going where the characters take me at the end of the day and we'll see what happens. I also wasn't expecting Zuko to be angry with Iroh but as I was writing it and it just happened. Either way, this chapter was a bit challenging for me, but I got through it. Hope you like. :D

Thanks to RueBroadway for the beta read.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

oOoOo

_**"**__One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind, just like me,so we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the World." - Toph, The Firebending Masters, Season 3, Episode 13_

oOoOo

Zuko felt a lot better than he had in a really long time. His body had finally healed fully and he already noticed he was gaining weight, thanks to regular meals. He had finished his new clothing a couple nights ago and finally was able to get out of his prison garb and instead wore a loose pair of brown pants accompanied by a long dark green tunic. He also wore a small black vest on top of his shirt. Everything was a little bit too large for him, but he had hoped he would fill into the clothes once he regained his normal body weight.

Zuko stared into the water as he looked at his reflection. His face was still gaunt but some color seemed to be returning to his pallid complexion. It had been so long since he had even looked at his face. He couldn't help but lift his hand up to touch the rough edges of his scar.

So much had happened in the years since the Agni Kai and all that time he thought he had deserved his father's punishment. But now? Now, he wasn't sure of anything. Here he was living with the Avatar, the person he was meant to capture. He was, in fact, hiding from his country just to live. It seemed so ironic considering it wasn't too long ago that he had tried to kill himself. However, that was different. There was no hope then. Although did that mean there was hope now? He couldn't be entirely sure.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he heard someone approaching. Zuko turned to see Sokka and Suki walking towards the fountain. Suki immediately smiled and waved to Zuko, but Sokka frowned indignantly. When he noticed that Suki was waving to him he took on the most offended face possible, dropping his jaw as far as it could go.

Suki's response was to simply frown at Sokka sternly and place her hands on her hips in derision.

Sokka began waving his arms frantically in a way that seemed to say, _why are you mad at me?_ He then began pointing at Zuko as if he was to blame for everything. Suki just shook her head sadly.

Zuko couldn't help but feel incredibly awkward at the display. Zuko scratched his head as he tried to decide the best way to handle it before realizing he should just leave. Clearly Sokka had a problem with Suki and him being friends and the last thing he wanted to do was cause even more enmity between them.

"Wait!" Suki called out as Zuko turned to leave. Zuko looked back and saw Suki run over to him. "I'm sorry, Sokka's an idiot."

"Hey!" Sokka cried indignantly from where he was standing.

Suki pointedly ignored him and looked squarely at Zuko. "He thinks you're going to steal me away from him."

"I did not...you...that's not...I would never!" Sokka seemed incapable of forming a coherent thought as he once again was flailing, his face growing redder by the moment.

"What he doesn't realize," Suki said, raising her voice pointedly, "Is that we're just friends, right?"

Zuko's look must have been just as incredulous as Sokka's. The last thing he wanted to be involved with is some type of lover's quarrel, but then at the same time he'd like to be able to talk to Suki without being glared at by the Water Tribe idiot. So Zuko just responded the only way he could, and agreed with the lady. "...Right."

Suki smiled and then turned back Sokka, who was making a fairly good impression of a guppy at this point. "So, Sokka, are you going to stop being an idiot and let me talk to my friend?"

Sokka closed his mouth and let out a heavy snort. "Fine, fine! But I'm keeping my eye on you!" Sokka said as he waved his hand back on forth pointing at his own eye and then Zuko before finally stalking off, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry," Suki said once Sokka was gone. "He can be a big baby sometimes."

Zuko shrugged, not knowing what he should say in response. This was one of those tricky situations. If he agreed she might get offended for mocking her boyfriend. Women were sometimes weird like that.

"You're new clothes look good," Suki commented after a moment of silence.

"Thanks," Zuko said, looking down at his shirt. He wasn't used to wearing colors that didn't match the Fire Nation style, but now was not the time to be picky.

"I'm glad to see you're looking much better," Suki added.

"You look better too," Zuko said, and it was true. While she had not suffered the same abuse that he had, she had been fairly malnourished and a few good meals went a long way to help bring vibrancy back to her face.

"Thanks," Suki said as she sat down on the edge of the fountain. "How are you adjusting here?"

Zuko shrugged once more as he sat down next to her. "Okay, I guess."

"Well you've been getting along with Katara, right?"

"Yeah," Zuko replied, looking down at his feet. "-but really only her besides you and Hakoda."

"Well, just give it time. They need to get used to you." Suki said as she bumped shoulders lightly with Zuko.

"I guess. And I need to get used to them."

"Sure, that too." Suki conceded and then looked at Zuko. "Besides, Toph doesn't seem to have a problem with you."

Zuko nodded slightly, still looking down at his feet. "But she's strange."

"Naw," Suki said with a light giggle. "Just rough around the edges. Kind of like you." Suki gently bumped Zuko's shoulder again to emphasize the point.

"Hey!" Zuko objected, feeling somewhat compelled to do so since he had been compared to a blind, and more importantly, _crazy_ earthbender.

Suki pointedly ignored Zuko's objection and looked out at the canyon. "Well, why don't we get back to the others. You shouldn't always keep yourself separated."

"I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

Zuko shrugged. "Doesn't matter." Or at least Zuko wished it didn't. He knew Katara was planning to have him tell the others about his inability to firebend really soon. After everything he had been through and how weak he obviously looked to them, he didn't want to appear any weaker.

"Of course it does," Suki said as she placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Something is eating away at you, I can tell."

Zuko shrugged once more, feeling utterly deflated. He couldn't find the energy to speak even if he wanted to. As much as he appreciated Suki's, he didn't like where the conversation was heading.

Suki seemed to sense this so she stood up and began tugging his arm. "Come on, let's go back. It's just about time for lunch."

"Fine," Zuko said as he stood slowly and allowed Suki to lead him back to their camp area.

Sure enough when they made their way back everyone was settling down for the noontime meal. As they approached, most of the group looked up at them. Jet actually stood up from the campsite and stalked off with his meal in hand. In fact the only people who didn't look up was Iroh and of course, Toph, for obvious reasons.

"Hey," Katara said as she placed her plate of food down and then reached for one beside her. "I made your lunch for you."

Zuko smiled gratefully and sat down next to her, taking his plate and then began picking at his food. It looked like Sokka had caught some type of bird and he had a piece of the wing. The meat was accompanied by a small hunk of cheese, bread, and assortment of fresh berries. Zuko happily began eating the meat, not having nearly enough of it when he was in prison. He missed it dearly. While he was happy to be eating, he felt nervous, and not just because most of the group was there, but because Katara was pressuring him to tell the others about his inability to firebend and wanted to tell everyone at lunch today.

"Hey everyone," Katara said taking a sip from her water. "Zuko and I have something we need to talk to about."

"I knew it!" Toph blurted out, "You and Zuko are getting married!"

Everyone in the group looked at Toph incredulously. Zuko nearly choked on his piece of meat and found himself coughing incessantly as he reached for some water.

"I'm just kidding," Toph said as she waved her hand dismissively. "You guys _have_ been spending a lot of time together, is all I'm saying."

"Well, Um" Katara stammered, her face red from the joke. "It's nothing like that."

Toph just smiled and remained silent. The group's eyes were now turned on them, and Zuko couldn't help noticed, after he recovered from his coughing fit, that Aang looked a little...was it jealous?

"Anyway, actually, it has to do with only Zuko..." Katara said as she regained her composure. "Zuko, do you want to tell them?"

Zuko shrugged noncommittally. To be honest he didn't want to tell anyone, he was starting to wish he had never told Katara to begin with.

"Well we agreed you would, right?" Katara said, he voice taking on a stern note.

"Zuko, whatever it is you can tell us," Suki said giving him a reassuring smile. Sokka crossed his arms with an air of annoyance, but Zuko pointedly ignored him.

Zuko sighed heavily, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the eyes of the group all on him. However, there was no turning back now. "I can't firebend," Zuko said in a voice that was barely audible.

"What?" Aang, Sokka, and Hakoda said in unison.

"I can't firebend," Zuko repeated, his voice slightly louder.

"How long has this been going on?" Hakoda asked, his face displaying nothing but genuine concern.

Zuko looked up at Hakoda and locked eyes with the man he had come to appreciate in these past tumultuous weeks. He knew what he was about to say would be taken personally, but he had to be honest. "After you left...the ship."

Hakoda visibly winced at that. "Are you sure?"

Zuko nodded. The group remained quiet as the considered the implications of this announcement.

"So...this is supposed to be a bad thing?" Sokka ventured to ask.

"Sokka!" Suki exclaimed as she punched her boyfriend in the shoulder, her eyes furrowed in anger.

"Oww! Sorry!" Sokka whined as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I don't care much for firebending," Toph said suddenly, her voice serious for once, "But I know I would be devastated if I couldn't earthbend."

Katara and Aang nodded in agreement, understanding how they would each feel if their bending powers were suddenly gone. Bending was an intricate part of a person's life, and for it to just be taken away—it would leave a hole in anyone's soul.

"Is that why...is that why you snapped at me the other day?" Aang ventured to ask.

"Yes," Zuko said and then hastily added. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Aang said cheerfully, a smile returning to his face. "I understand."

"Thanks," Zuko said and then looked down at his feet. Now everyone knew he was even more pathetic than they had originally thought. He couldn't help but feel incredibly uncomfortable as he had to endure their pitying looks.

"Iroh, what do you think about this?" Hakoda asked suddenly.

Iroh looked up Hakoda and then directly at Zuko. He had been completely silent during the conversation, but it was obvious from the look in his eye he had an idea of what might be going on. "Firebending is the only bending form in which the bender can create the element they work with. This ability is deeply connected to the bender's emotional state."

"So you're saying that Zuko's emotional state is different after being in prison for months?" Katara asked.

"But he could firebend while we were escaping. Why can't he do it now?" Suki said in response to Katara.

"Maybe because he was escaping, he'd be in the right emotional state?" Katara ventured a guess.

"That doesn't make sense, he's free now," Aang chimed in.

Hakoda looked directly at Zuko as the group continued to discuss the prince as if he wasn't there. Zuko didn't particularly want to jump in on the conversation and add any insight. He just wished this would all go away and he could crawl under a blanket and not have to face anyone.

"Zuko, what do you think?" Hakoda asked, causing everyone else to stop talking.

"I have no idea," Zuko lied. The truth was Zuko knew. What his uncle had said made a horrible kind of sense. There was only one thing different between his emotional state from the escape till now-he had actually tried to kill himself. Throughout his entire imprisonment he had felt incredibly hopeless and entertained the thought of dying, but there was always that spark within him that fought to go on. It had rekindled strongly when he met Hakoda. However, on that ship, when his source of hope was gone and he could see no way out, he felt that spark disappear. He had tried to kill himself, and he most certainly never felt the same since that day. It was a fact that he felt incredibly ashamed of and had no intention of telling anyone.

"So you have no idea what would have affected you enough to lose your bending ability?" Hakoda persisted. The look in his eye sent a chill down Zuko's spine. He clearly didn't believe Zuko, but there was no way Zuko was going to discuss this in front of everyone.

Hakoda waited for Zuko to answer, but when he wouldn't respond he looked up at the others before focusing once again on him. "Well, it's good at least that we know you can't firebend even if we can't figure out why. Iroh, do you think he will be able to regain his firebending."

Iroh, who had not taken his eyes of his nephew the whole time, spoke with a measured voice. "Maybe. It's up to Zuko."

Zuko cringed inwardly at those words, but said nothing.

"What about the original firebenders?" Toph asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I learned how to earthbend from the badgermoles, they were the original earthbenders. What if Zuko tried to reconnect with his element from the original firebenders?"

"There are no original firebenders anymore," Zuko replied. "They were the dragons, and the dragons don't exist anymore." Zuko then look pointedly at his uncle. "My uncle killed the last one." Zuko used to think that it was a positive thing; everyone knew that if you could defeat a dragon your worth as a firebender was incredible. However now, he felt angry, and he couldn't be sure if it was out of concern for the dragons or just another reason to be angry with his uncle, killing a possible source of recovering his firebending skills.

Iroh barely flinched as Zuko glared accusingly at the old firebender. With a sigh, Iroh responded, his voice steady. "The dragons may be gone, but I have an idea. Aang, you would benefit as well."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, clearly confused by the anger Zuko was displaying towards his uncle.

"There's a place, not too far from here. I think the three of us should go. It will help you both learn a lot about firebending."

"Where exactly is this place?" Zuko asked, despite himself.

"On an island just north of the Fire Nation, south from where we are now," Iroh answered.

"So..." Zuko thought for a moment before responding. "Are you talking about the ancient city of the Sun Warriors?"

Iroh simply nodded.

"The ancient city what?" Sokka asked.

"The Ancient Sun Warriors." Iroh replied as he regarded Sokka with a small smile. "They were the first of our people to learn how to firebend from the dragons." There was something guarded about the way Iroh spoke of the Sun Warriors, and Zuko could not put his finger on it. However, he had a distinct feeling that Iroh was not sharing the whole truth.

"Wait," Aang cut in suddenly. "I think I heard about them before in one of my lessons back at the temple. Aren't they all gone?"

"So it is said, but still," Iroh said as he coughed lightly. "We should go there. There are some things I would like to show you...both of you." Iroh glanced over at Zuko as he spoke the last part.

"Do you think it will help Zuko regain his firebending?" Katara asked hopefully.

"Possibly," Iroh answered.

Katara looked back over at Zuko. "Are you going to go?"

Zuko shrugged, once again finding his feet to be absolutely fascinating to look at. "I guess so." He really didn't like the idea of going away with Iroh and Aang. Granted he was getting used to Aang, but he still felt angry at his uncle, despite his better judgment. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't pass up on an opportunity to regain his firebending. He felt absolutely lost without it, and if going to this city would help him get it back then he couldn't possibly refuse.

"Alright," Iroh said with finality. "We'll leave tomorrow."

"Awesome!" Aang said excitedly. "We get to go on a field trip! I wonder what the city is going to be like!"

With the main issue of the discussion over, Zuko stood up immediately and went inside the temple. He was finally free from that painful conversation. He quickly made his way to the room that he currently slept in and plopped down on the floor, his fists clenched in anger and frustration. He hated being here. He hated showing weakness and receiving their pity. He hated knowing deep down inside that he felt completely alone no matter how friendly or accepting some in the group would try to be.

He hated himself so much in that moment as he realized he had been trying to desperately push away those feelings he had felt when he threw himself overboard on that ship. He had tried to pretend it didn't happen, but like every other mistake he ever made, it blew up in his face. Now he couldn't firebend and the worst part was he wasn't even entirely sure if he cared.

"Should we go after him?" Katara asked as she watched Zuko storm off into the temple area.

Hakoda shook his head. "Probably not, I think he needs a little space right now."

Katara nodded as she plucked a grape from a small bunch and popped it into her mouth. She seemed to consider for a moment before finally asking, "What do you think about him losing his firebending?"

Hakoda sighed heavily. To be completely honest, the discovery disturbed him greatly. He knew that Zuko was fine before he left him with Chit Sang, so what had changed? Was it the fact that he had abandoned the boy? But then, he seemed to understand that Chit Sang had made them leave under the threat of death. Hakoda suddenly felt his heart drop into his stomach as a horrible thought entered his mind. He had left a young teenage boy on his own with hardened criminals who had not known a woman in a very long time. To some there may be no difference between a woman and a young boy.

"I-I don't know," Hakoda stammered as dread filled his veins. He silently cursed himself for not realizing this sooner. He placed his own food to the side, unable to stomach his food anymore. "I'll be right back."

Hakoda stood up and went into the temple, ignoring the confused look his daughter was giving him. He knew he was ignoring his own advice, but his own need to assuage his fears was stronger. It didn't take him long to find the boy, he was back in his room lying on the ground. He was face up with his feet propped on the wall. His eyes looked almost vacant as he stared at the ceiling, only flickering to the doorway once when he noticed Hakoda's presence.

"It's just me," Hakoda said, hoping that Zuko would be open with him now that no one else was around.

"I know."

Hakoda nodded and entered the room. He shut the door gently behind him and settled down next to the listless prince. "You know, you never really told me what happened after Chit Sang betrayed us."

"I know," Zuko repeated, clearly not happy with where the conversation was going.

"Considering the revelation you just made, I think maybe you should tell me a little more." Hakoda said, keeping his voice steady. If something really bad at happened, he knew he probably shouldn't force Zuko to tell him. Yet, at the same time, he had to know. The guilt was too much and he had to know for sure that nothing that serious had happened.

"There's nothing to tell," Zuko answered, his tone a bit flippant. "He kept me locked up, had me beaten if I didn't behave right. What, want to know the detail of every beating?"

Hakoda sighed heavily. He understood why Zuko was angry, and he personally didn't take any joy in questioning the young boy like this, but still-he had to know. He had to know exactly what was causing Zuko's inner pain. "Did any of the men...did any of them...touch you?"

Zuko twisted his body to look at Hakoda directly, an incredulous look on his face. "Are you serious?"

"Zuko, please be honest. I only want to help."

Zuko locked eyes with Hakoda for a few moments. He was silent and remained completely still before finally speaking. "I was never raped, if that's what you want to know."

Hakoda let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Relief flooded him but it was quickly snapped away at Zuko's next words.

"Not for lack of trying though."

"What?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Zuko..."

"The worst attempt wasn't even on the boat, so please spare me your pity. I may be weak and pathetic, but at least I can save myself from something!"

Hakoda's eyes widened as he realized what Zuko must be talking about. "The day of the escape..."

Zuko nodded slowly before finally bringing his feet back down to the ground and sitting up in a normal position. "I burned the guy's face off. That's why I was in the cooler."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hakoda asked, his voice slightly pained. Hakoda had known on the day that they escaped that something was off but he could never place it. After all that time they had spent planning the escape and then on the ship, he had to admit it hurt a little to know the boy didn't trust him enough to tell him about that until just now. It also bothered him that Zuko had been holding it in for so long. If the ability to firebend was as dependant on emotion as Iroh said it was, then he did not doubt that these attempts had at least contributed to Zuko's current predicament.

Zuko shrugged. "It didn't matter."

"Zuko, of course it matters," Hakoda responded a little too loudly. He paused, forcing himself to calm down. Zuko was a victim, and he knew he shouldn't berate him for not trusting him. He knew the boy had very little reason to trust anyone and he was lucky Zuko did trust him as much as he did. "Zuko... even if he didn't actually do anything to you...that kind of attack...it stays with you. I wish you had told me."

"You know now."

"Zuko-"

"Please, stop it!" Zuko snapped. "I've had enough. Just because you helped me escape doesn't mean you get to know everything about me! I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you're not my father!" Zuko visibly flinched as me said the word father.

"No, I'm not. But I certainly care about you more than your own father." As soon as Hakoda spoke those words, he wished he could take them back.

Zuko glared furiously. Even though he knew the boy couldn't firebend, he swore the room got hotter from the anger in that glare alone. "I'm sorry," Hakoda whispered lowly. He shouldn't have said that, even if it was the truth.

"If you don't mind, I would like to be left alone," Zuko said icily.

Hakoda nodded. He had gone too far. Best to give the boy some space and hopefully he would feel more open to talking later on. Hakoda stood slowly, giving Zuko one last look before finally leaving. Despite what had been revealed to him in their talk, he still couldn't help but feel that the young prince was hiding something.

oOoOo

Toph always enjoyed the nighttime. There was something serene and peaceful about the night that was also lively and fun. Everyone would be asleep since they had no use staying up once the sun went down. Toph on the other hand, loved to be awake well after dusk. No one was there to bother her or tell her what to do. The crickets and other nighttime creatures would start chirping, which sounded like music to her ears. She enjoyed the time away from dealing with people who could see and even though she had no concept of darkness or light, the nighttime felt like it belonged to her. The darkness was okay.

She knew she probably should get to sleep soon. Sokka or Katara would be on her case if she wasn't up bright and early with the rest of them. It always annoyed her that they insisted on waking up with the sun. Toph got no benefit from it, so why should she live her life by it?

Toph sighed heavily as she walked down the quiet hallways. It was a hot night and so the crickets were especially loud tonight with their rhythmic chirping. The night was peaceful; the only vibrations she felt were from nocturnal animals sneaking about the temple.

It wasn't until she neared Prince Zuko's room that the vibrations in the ground took on a more agitated tone. The feeling was unmistakable; the prince was tossing and turning fitfully in his sleep. She had felt this happen before and knew immediately he must be suffering from nightmares. It wasn't surprising, considering what she heard he had been through. Usually the nightmares weren't so bad. He'd be restless for a few minutes before he would finally settle back down and rest peacefully. However, this night was different. His thrashing was a bit more intense and she could feel his heart racing uncontrollably. The was no denying that he was suffering from a particularly violent nightmare and she knew she should probably get him out of it before he hurt himself, or screamed and woke everyone else up. She knew he'd die of embarrassment if that happened.

She had actually been studying the young prince ever since he was brought to the temple. They very rarely talked, but she didn't need to talk to him to understand what he was like. His moods were incredibly readable though her well trained earthbending. She picked up on every nuance of his body language whenever he was around her, which told her everything she needed to know about him. She understood that he was confused and ashamed to be here, and that he was extremely conflicted. While she couldn't be sure what specifically caused his inner turmoil, she suspected it had a lot to do with his imprisonment and the history he had with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. A history she knew very little about, but at least got the gist of what had transpired.

As she neared Zuko, who seemed to be struggling against something in his sleep, she could smell the sweat off his skin. She hadn't noticed it before, but now she could make out faint words under his breath. "No" was the one he seemed to be using the most.

Toph knelt down beside Zuko and gave him a gentle shake. "Zuko, wake up."

No good. He was in a really deep sleep. "Zuko, wake up!" Her voice was much louder and her grip on him much stronger. When that didn't work, she tried one last time, shaking him as much as she could. "Wake up!"

Zuko's eyes snapped open and his mutter words became screams. "No! Don't, get off me!" Zuko pushed Toph away, but in his state he was barely able to push her back more than a few inches. He, however, seemed to regain his composure fairly quickly and stopped pushing at her. Toph could only assume he was staring at her right now.

"You were having a nightmare," Toph said, keeping her voice even.

Toph felt Zuko shift slightly before responding. "Sorry," and then, "Thanks for waking me."

"No problem," Toph replied with a wide grin. Truth be told, she kind of liked Zuko- even if she didn't really show it that much. He wasn't as bad as Sokka insisted, and instead was rather intriguing. "Want to talk about it?"

She knew Zuko shook his head. She was used to people forgetting her blindness and responding through visual motions. She was good enough at her earthbending to understand what he was doing, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. "So are you going to answer me or not?"

She could almost feel his flush as he realized his stupidity in that moment. "Oh um, no, I don't really want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?" Toph said in a sing-song voice, "Talking about your nightmares makes you feel better."

"I'm fine."

That was certainly a big fat lie, and she didn't even need to monitor his body's response to the lie to know it. His heart was definitely still beating very fast from the nightmare; she felt the remnants of fear in his body. Whatever it was that he was having a nightmare about, it was bad, and she couldn't blame him for not wanting to share. They weren't really friends.

"Alright, but maybe you should talk to someone, you've been having a lot."

"How...how did you know?"

"I can feel it. You know how I can 'See', right?" Toph asked, wondering if one of the others had explained to him why she never walked into things or tripped on sticks or something like that.

"Katara said you use earthbending to feel things around you," Zuko answered.

"_Right_ and I can feel things all around me, even if they're kind of far away. I keep an 'eye' on things with my earthbending to make sure there are no unwanted guests and all that. I'm pretty good at it, and if someone's tossing about in a nightmare, I can feel it."

"Oh." Toph didn't miss the subtle skip in Zuko's heartbeat at that moment.

"They messed you up pretty badly, didn't they"

"Excuse me?" Zuko's heart began beating more rapidly. He didn't like the direction this was going, and she felt bad for pursuing it now.

"I'm just saying, in prison and all. Must've sucked really badly," Toph answered, wondering if maybe she should try to change the subject.

"Yeah, well...it's prison." Zuko seemed to calm down when he realized she wasn't going to pry too much. "But I feel better now," That was a lie. "I guess I should go back to sleep."

"Sure, go right ahead."

Zuko hesitated a moment, before finally speaking again. "Aren't you going to go?"

"I can go. Or I can stay here and wake you up if you have another nightmare. I mean, it's kind of annoying trying to monitor the area when someone keeps tossing about and making everything so noisy- harder to detect intruders and all." It was a lie. Toph was excellent at her skill and very good at distinguishing one vibration from another. She could even monitor the area in her sleep. However, she could feel that Zuko was still shaken by his nightmare and could use some company, and she knew he was too stubborn to ask. The lie helped him save face.

"O-Okay."

Toph smiled. "Good. Now go back to sleep. I know you have that big trip and all with Aang and your uncle."

Zuko shrugged. He muttered an agreement before settling back down on to his mat. He must have been exhausted because he fell right back to sleep. Toph sat there in the room, listening to the symphony of crickets for a while before finally falling asleep herself. Zuko never stirred for the rest of the night.

oOoOo

As if things couldn't get even more confusing for Zuko, he woke up to find the blind girl sleeping next to him, which was rather confusing at first until the exchange they had last night came back in stunning detail. Zuko put his hand to his face and sighed heavily. _Stupid fucking nightmares. _

At least she hadn't pried too much. In fact, her presence was actually kind of soothing and he managed to have a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night. As embarrassing as it was, he was grateful for the opportunity to sleep soundly throughout the rest of the night. The nightmare had been particularly bad last night, too. The conversation with Hakoda had caused him to relive the day of the escape when the guard had attacked. It was not something he ever wanted to go through again, and just thinking about it made him shiver a little. Zuko wasted no time in getting up and having breakfast, doing everything he can to keep his mind off the conversation he had yesterday and the nightmare that followed while he slept.

Now, of course, he was packing some food for a trip to some ancient city, which was the source of much trepidation. He wasn't exactly looking forward to a trip with the Avatar and his uncle. He still wasn't really sure where he stood with the young airbender, and that just lead to more awkwardness. Also there was the fact he was still angry with his uncle. He knew it was stupid, that he should just let go of it, but when did he ever just let things go? Zuko let out a heavy breath. No, he was not letting it go. His uncle practically left him for dead-you don't just let that go.

So no he was going on a trip without Hakoda, Suki, or Katara to make things a little less weird and confusing. Even though he was a little annoyed at Hakoda for prying yesterday, he still felt more comfortable around him than his own uncle. However, despite his nervousness, he also felt a bit of hope. This trip was supposed to help him regain his firebending, and that was definitely worth all the awkwardness of going on a trip with people he didn't particularly want to be alone with at this point in time.

Why wasn't anything ever simple?

With a slight tinge of annoyance, Zuko grabbed the sack of food and brought it over to the over-sized air bison. The animal he had chased around the world for so long would now be taking him to this ancient city. He knew he had flown on it already, but he was unconscious at the time. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like to fly on the back of the white bison, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued.

"Are we ready to go?" Iroh asked as he looked around the platform. They had packed some food rations and sleeping blankets, since Iroh said they would probably be gone for a few days. With any luck they could be back by tomorrow night. Zuko sincerely hoped that would be the case.

"Yeah," Aang said cheerfully. "We're all packed up."

"Good, let's get going then," Iroh replied.

"Have a safe trip," Hakoda said as he handed Zuko his sleeping mat.

Zuko shrugged and took the mat. "Thanks." He tossed the supplies on to the saddle before climbing in himself.

Aang said his goodbyes to his friends before hoping on the saddle himself. Iroh was the last to climb aboard. With an energetic "Yip yip!" there were lifted up into the air.

The feeling was a little unsettling and Zuko found himself holding on to the sides rather tightly. It was a good thing too, because no more than a minute later the bison flew sharply to the side as it avoided a strong blast of fire. A loud bang filled the air and he felt the heat of the blast as well as the strong smell of smoke.

Zuko's felt as if his heart stopped in that moment. His stomach was in his throat as they dropped down suddenly and nearly tipped completely over. Zuko held on as hard as he could, wondering what had caused the sudden jerk Appa had made.

He didn't have to wonder for too long. Once Appa turned to go back to the platform, the smoke had cleared and he saw his sister's smirking face as she stood menacingly on a large war balloon.

oOoOo

A/N - I enjoyed writing this chapter. I challenged myself to try and write a small nonverbal scene. I was listening to a podcast and they were discussing how it's a great way to improve your descriptions and not rely so much on dialogue, which I feel that I do. So I will probably try doing that more often. I also enjoyed writing the scene between Hakoda and Zuko, it flowed right out. :D

Anyway, so in the Firebending Masters we saw that a strong emotional shift in from anger to contentment caused Zuko to lose his firebending abilities so I figured it would be logical to say that if it went from anger to complete depression/hopelessness it could have the same effect. Of course, I'm a sucker for cliffhangers. :P However, I hopefully won't keep you all waiting for too long. the summer con season is done for me (ugh, 3 cons in 1 month...srsly, a bit too much) and my next one isn't until November in NH. Yay. So yeah, more time to work on this. And while I still don't have any idea how long this will be, I do have a decent outline of where I'm going with this.

Also, I got a lot of response on the whole Zutara thing. Some in support, some against. Most seem to say keep it a genfic. I do appreciate the feedback and helped me come to a conclusion on the direction I should take. Thanks, everyone! Keep it coming, it really does help.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

oOoOo

"_You mean it's not obvious yet ? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" - Princess Azula, "The Southern Raiders", Season 3, Episode 16_

oOoOo

Hakoda woke up not feeling too great about the day ahead of him. He felt that maybe he had crossed a line with Zuko yesterday and it made him feel uneasy. Adding to that, Zuko was leaving on some adventure with Aang and Iroh. Even though he knew that this trip was important for the firebender, Hakoda didn't want the young prince to be taken to a place where he couldn't keep an eye on him, in light of all that had happened. However, he knew his concern was unwarranted. The young prince would be with the Avatar and his Uncle, both powerful benders with substantial skill to protect Zuko when needed. Still, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

When it was time for Zuko to leave with the others, he grabbed the sleeping mat that had been left by the fountain and handed it to the young man.

"Have a safe trip," Hakoda said, hoping for a sign that Zuko was not still angry with him.

Zuko shrugged and took the mat. "Thanks." Zuko really didn't give any indication that he was still angry, but he didn't seem too pleased either, though that could have been attributed to the amount of time he was being forced to spend with his uncle, and they still didn't seem to be on very good speaking terms.

Hakoda watched as the young prince tossed his supplies onto Appa and then made his way into the saddle. He didn't look back once.

"Be safe," Hakoda said to Aang and Iroh as the climbed onto the large Bison. It wasn't long before the animal lifted himself up into the air. It was in that moment that Hakoda saw a large red balloon rise from below the jagged cliff's edge with the telltale Fire Nation emblem. Hakoda didn't have any time to warn them before a large bomb exploded, nearly hitting Appa.

"Shit!" Hakoda cursed as he ran to the bison, which was now landing frantically. He was amazed it's passengers didn't fall considering how sharply it turned. Explosions burst all around him as he made it to the bison and reached for Zuko's arm, pulling him off the saddle and away from the line of fire.

Iroh jumped off the saddle after Zuko. "Protect him!" Iroh shouted at Hakoda as he turned to face the balloon, unleashing a wave of fire at the balloon's platform where a young woman stood smiling.

Zuko looked absolutely terrified as he watched his uncle fight. Hakoda couldn't help but watch as well and as he watched he saw the target of Iroh's bending fought back with a bright blue flame, which caused his eyes to widen. Only one person was rumored to wield blue flame- and that was Princess Azula.

Hakoda looked back at Zuko, who was staring at his sister with wide, horror-filled eyes and shaking slightly. Hakoda silently cursed as he tried to shield Zuko from the fire and smoke. The boy seemed to be frozen in terror unable to move or react, even amongst all the action- and Hakoda really couldn't blame him. There was no question why the Fire Nation war balloon was here. Hakoda inwardly cringed as he realized they must have left enough of a trail in Roshu that lead Princess Azula directly here.

Hakoda pulled Zuko over to a large pillar in order to shield them from the fire and then looked around, trying to take in the situation. Jet and his friends along with Haru and Teo had to have been inside the temple at the time of the attack, since he didn't see them anywhere on the landing in front of the temple. Meanwhile Toph, Katara, and Aang, were doing the best they could to fight of the continuous barrage of fire blasts while Iroh challenged the princess directly. Hakoda looked around frantically for his son before catching sight of him behind the fountain with Suki, trying to avoid the fire attacks.

"Zuko," Hakoda said with a surprising calmness to his voice, "Stay there. Don't move."

Hakoda didn't wait for a response from the boy as he pulled the new hunting knife from his belt and turned to face their attackers. The war balloon had managed to get closer and now some men were leaping from the ledge onto the platform while others had directly engaged Toph, leaving Aang and Katara to fend off the fire attacks. Hakoda's widened when he realized there were earthbenders too. Hakoda knew in that moment they must be the Dai Li that Sokka had once told him about.

Toph was clearly the better earthbender than the Dai Li agents, as she managed to block and divert every attack thrown her way by the other benders. Rock cuffs were flung at her only to be smacked away while she simultaneously threw a wave of rocks at the other men. Her skill was extraordinary, but it was clear the numbers were wearing her down. She wouldn't last much longer against the multiplying front.

"Shit," Hakoda cursed as he ducked and dodge his way over to Sokka's position.

"Dad!" Sokka exclaimed when Hakoda reached the fountain.

"Where are the others?" Hakoda asked.

"I don't know," Sokka replied. Suddenly a blast shook the temple and they were sprayed with rock debris.

"Okay," Hakoda said, coughing from the dust. "You two assist Toph, I have a plan."

Suki and Sokka nodded and began crawling over to where Toph was fending off four Dai Li agents. Hakoda saw Sokka take aim at one with a boomerang before he had to look away and focus on Katara and calling out to her once he was close enough.

"Dad, where's Sokka and the others?" Katara asked after she diverted one of the bombs to the other side of the cliff.

"Not important, just listen to me, I've got an idea"

Katara nodded, her brow drenched in sweat as she diverted another bomb, but not enough as it landed only a few buildings down, causing the temple to shudder ominously with each impact.

"Can you use your waterbending to take down the balloon?" Hakoda asked, keeping himself behind a pillar and trying his best not to get in the way of Katara's bending.

"Maybe, but I won't be able to block the firebending," Katara said through gritted teeth.

"That's okay, it's more important we take down the balloon."

Katara nodded and then yelled over to Aang, "I'm going for the balloon, cover me!"

Aang, who was still standing on top of Appa, didn't look at Katara but he nodded to confirm that he understood and delivered a strong gust of air to another bomb. He did a decent job, utilizing both his airbending and waterbending, however a couple of bombs slipped through, causing bone jarring explosions. However, he was able to keep most at bay.

Hakoda covered his head as more debris rained down on them. When he looked back up he saw Katara fighting off a new opponent, a young acrobatic girl dressed all in pink. Hakoda gripped his new hunting knife and wasted no time jumping in to fight, pushing Katara to the side. He had to get girl away from Katara so she could take down the balloon. He heard Aang yelling behind him, "Don't let her touch you!" Hakoda thought it was a strange warning, but he heeded it anyway, engaging in a fighting dance of sorts in which he taunted the young girl with jabs and feints but always stayed just out of reach.

In the meantime Katara had taken advantage of her father stepping in to cover her and rushed over to the fountain. Katara pulled all the water from the nearby fountain and split it apart to freeze the water into about a dozen individual icicles with dagger-like points. The young waterbender looked firmly at the balloon and then closed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly she flung the icicles at the balloon with every ounce of energy she had. The balloon was far enough away that reaching it with the heavy icicles was incredibly hard, but Katara managed despite the extreme difficulty.

The first icicle to reach the balloon pierced cleanly through the Fire Nation emblem, followed by the others, which ripped an even larger hole in the over-stretched material of the balloon. Panic ensued on the large war balloon as the soldiers realized they were losing altitude. Screams of terror rang out from the ship, some tried to make a jump for the cliff. A few made it, but most fell to their deaths with blood curdling screams.

The young girl he was fighting paused in surprise as she realized the balloon was sinking, giving Hakoda the opportunity to pounce. He grabbed her from behind and wrapped her in a headlock. Hakoda then applied pressure on her throat, not enough to kill but certainly enough to make her pass out. She struggled, but he held her in his strong grip. Soon enough her struggles began to weaken as she lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

Hakoda took stock of the situation now. The Balloon was falling. Only a few of the soldiers had managed to leap to the ledge, and he knew they must be dealt with. Hakoda ran to the ledge, kicking one roughly and forcing him off the ledge. As Hakoda engaged another man, he noticed peripherally that Haru and and Smellerbee had joined the fray and were now fighting off some of the soldiers that had made it to the ledge of the temple. Hakoda wondered briefly where they had been, but didn't dwell on it. They were here now.

Another soldier jumped onto his back and they fell to the ground, wrestling viciously. Hakoda fought frantically for the advantage and eventually managed to force the soldier onto his back. The water tribesman still had his hunting knife in hand and forced it lower and lower against the grip of the desperate soldier. Hakoda's strength won out and the blade sunk deep into the man's throat. The soldier made a gurgling sound as blood quickly poured out of his nose and mouth.

Hakoda then looked up and saw Aang and Katara fighting off the remaining soldiers. Aang whipped the air around one of the soldiers, flinging him to the ground and knocking him out. Katara managed to freeze their legs in ice, effectively incapacitating them.

Hakoda frowned. Aang and Katara's unwillingness to kill was a problem he would soon have to confront with the duo. It was a conversation that would have to wait until they were less incapacitated.

_Then again_, Hakoda thought as he glanced quickly at the young girl he had fought, _I didn't kill her. _Hakoda shook his head and refocused on the problem at hand.

Once Hakoda saw all the soldiers had been dealt with, Hakoda turned to look for his son. The three of them were still battling the Dai Li agents.

"Katara! Aang!" Hakoda called to bring their attention to the earthbenders. The two of them followed Hakoda's lead and ran towards the fight.

Suki and Sokka were clearly being overpowered by two of the Dai Li as Toph took on the third with equal footing. Hakoda wasted no time and engaged the agents with Katara and Aang. The combination of waterbending and airbending was enough to finally overcome the rogue agents.

"Thanks guys," Toph said as she let Haru bind the final Dai Li agent with rock cuffs, clearly winded from having to take on the Dai Li agents all at once earlier.

Katara then turned to her father. "What about Iroh?" Katara asked, a note of worry in her voice.

Hakoda looked over and saw that the older man was still in a fierce battle with the Fire Nation princess. They met each other, blow for blow, red flame smashing against blue flame, with no clear indication of who was winning.

Azula had paid no mind to the destruction of her war balloon and deaths of her men. She only had eyes for her uncle as she continued to send a barrage of flame his way.

"Come on, dear Uncle," Azula taunted as she circled the older man and then sent a semi circle of blue flame his way, which he blocked force of his own fist. "You can do better than that! What happened to the Dragon of the West? Old age and tea make you too fat to keep up?" Azula was laughing, as if this was some sort of game to her.

Hakoda noticed that Iroh's face was stern but there was something else-sorrow. He clearly didn't want to be fighting his niece, but Hakoda knew he was also determined to protect the Avatar and his Nephew. Hakoda couldn't help but wonder if the man was fighting with everything he had against Azula.

Iroh fended off each and every one of Azula's attacks and managed to send his own right back at her. At one moment it looked like he had managed to catch Azula off guard but she easily evaded when it was too late to block.

The battle was taking too long, Hakoda thought, noticing the temple was collapsing around them as they fought. They had to get away from the ledge now or they risked falling to their deaths like the men on the balloon. As if fate was listening, a large section of the temple wall fell from its place and smashed onto the ledge, bringing the frenzied fight to a standstill. The stone completely missed everyone, but the outcropping Azula and Iroh had been fighting on crumbled under the weight. Soon Azula was flailing as she fell frantically, rocks and debris joining her. Luckily Iroh was closer to the base and managed to grab on to the crumbing ledge.

"Iroh!" Katara exlclaimed.

Hakoda immediately ran to the ledge and grabbed for the older man's arm. "Come on!" Hakoda gasped as he lifted the old general back onto the ledge. Once he was back on the ledge he pulled him back before another large piece crumbled down the gorge.

Hakoda finally let out the breath he had no idea he was holding. How had they managed to get out of this one? Was the Fire Nation princess actually dead?

Hakoda couldn't help but look back down the canyon and was almost surprised to see the Fire Nation princess clinging to the side wall, her hair flapping angrily in the wind. _No, of course not._

Even at their distance he could see her face. They locked eyes for one brief moment, and in that moment, he swore he saw Azula smirk.

"Where's Mai?" Hakoda then heard Katara ask behind him.

Hakoda turned, clearly confused. "_Who_?"

"Mai," Katara insisted. "There's Ty Lee," Katara pointed to the unconscious form of the girl clad in pink. "There's another girl that fights with Azula, where is she?"

"One...Two...Crap," Sokka exclaimed on the other side of the ledge. "We're missing a Dai Li Agent."

Hakoda's heart skipped a beat. "Zuko."

oOoOo

Zuko felt his body shaking and he hated himself for it. As soon as he saw his sister's sinister face he felt himself freeze up, Chit Sang's words ringing in his head. _"Your sister is paying double for just your head." _Zuko could almost feel the biting steel of the knife at his neck. Now he was alone, forced to hide from the fight because he was too useless, too weak to defend himself.

"Fuck," Zuko cursed as he watched Hakoda make his way over to his son. One part of him desperately wanted to turn and fight while another part wanted to run and hide and he could not reconcile the two urges. So he simply did as he was told and stayed where he was. Zuko wrung his hands anxiously, silently wishing it wasn't really happening. Explosion after explosion told him otherwise.

Another loud blast soon rocked the temple, this time causing the pillar above him to crack and crumble. Zuko looked up and barely had enough time to jump out of the way before a large chunk came crashing to the ground. Zuko coughed and sputtered as he wiped the dust from his eyes, trying desperately to get fresh air into his lungs. When he finally opened his eyes he found another rock flying in his direction, but this time from an earthbender.

Instinct took over and Zuko threw himself to the side, barely managing to avoid the attack. Without even looking back, he pushed himself up and ran in the opposite direction. He couldn't tell who was attacking him, but he knew he had to get away. He couldn't bend, he had no weapons, and he was still incredibly weak from his ordeal. He wouldn't last a minute in a direct fight and he knew it. All he had was the adrenaline pumping through his blood as he ran for his life.

Rock and debris continued to crash around him, some from the explosions rocking the temple and others from the earthbender who was now chasing him. Zuko made it inside the temple, hoping to lose him in the mess of rocks, but this earthbender was good. He seemed to sense exactly where he was going, much the way Toph would.

"Shit," Zuko cursed as he dodged another onslaught of rocks. This time he was too late. Two long strips of rock wrapped around his wrists and propelled him into the wall next to him. Zuko struggled, trying as hard as he could to wrench his wrists from the rock cuffs, but they would not budge.

The earthbender sauntered over to the young prince, a tiny smirk on his face. Zuko stopped struggling, realizing the futility of the situation. He watched in horror as the earthbender stomped on the ground to raise a large boulder into the air. Zuko knew what the man intended to do, and he also knew he couldn't stop it. In that fleeting moment he could only hope the crushing rock would kill him instantly.

Suddenly the rock dropped to the ground, splitting in half, followed by the earthbender himself. Zuko could only stare in disbelief before the answer revealed itself. Embedded in the earthbender's head was a throwing knife, one he knew all too well.

"Mai," Zuko whispered and then looked up to see his suspicions confirmed. There stood a figure from his past. She was older now, taller and more mature. She had a womanly grace that had never been there before as she walked closer, not once breaking eye contact with the banished prince.

"Zuko," Mai said with a voice huskier than he remembered.

"Mai...what are you-?

Zuko never got to finish his question as Mai was assaulted by a figure with two hooked swords. It took a moment for Zuko to recognize that Mai's attacker was Jet.

Mai fell back, barely missing the point of his weapon as it scraped against her cheek. Jet wasted no time and continued his assault; pushing his advantage and forcing her into completely defensive moves as he swung his weapons, feverishly searching for blood to spill and skin tear apart.

A large explosion then rocked the temple, once again debris crashed to the floor, managing to trip Mai and causing her to fall to the ground. Jet immediately pressed his advantage and landed on top of her, eyes crazed and ready for the kill. He raised his weapon high above his head, ready to strike the fatal blow.

_No, he can't kill her_, Zuko thought desperately. This was Mai, his friend. Yes she was Fire Nation, yes she was probably here on Azula's orders-but she was a part of his past. A past he didn't want to forget, didn't want to abandon or let die. Without thinking of the implications, Zuko screamed as loud as he could, "_No, Jet! Don't!_"

Zuko's words distracted Jet for only a moment, but it was enough. Mai kicked Jet right between the legs, forcing him back and off her prone form. Before Jet could even react to the onslaught of pain, Mai yanked the hooked sword from his grasp and replaced it with a dagger of her own, digging it deep into the palm of his hand and pinning him to the ground. With Jet screaming in agony, Mai continued her attack, burying a dagger into the palm of his other hand, effectively incapacitating him.

Mai then leaped to her feet and backed away from the prone form on the ground. Mai looked at the boy for a few moments as he moaned in pain and then lifted her eyes up to meet Zuko's for one final and brief moment ,and then she ran off without a word.

Zuko tried desperately to understand what just happened. He stared at the dead earthbender and then shifted his gaze to Jet, pinned to the floor with daggers in each of his hands. He had despised the crude teen since they met, but he could not help but feel guilty at the injury he had no doubt caused by his sudden outburst.

"Fuck," Zuko cursed as he pulled once again at the restraints pinning him to the wall. He had to get free before anyone else found him in this vulnerable position. It was at that moment Zuko noticed the explosions had stopped.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed as she ran over to the two boys. Her eyes widen as she saw the scene laid before her, Jet pinned to the floor, Zuko to the wall, and a dead Dai Li Agent in between them. "What happened?"

"Yeah, _Zuko_," Jet said, gasping painfully from his position on the floor. "Tell them what happened." His words were dripping with contempt.

Katara ignored Jet's words and began examining the wounds. "I'm going to pull the daggers out, it will hurt."

"Just do it," Jet whispered.

Zuko looked away, and turned to see the rest of the group. Toph came near and with a quick motion of her hands the rock cuffs fell off. A moment later he heard Jet scream from the removal of the throwing knives.

"We need to get out of here," Hakoda said, "Explanations can come later."

"I need to heal his hands," Katara insisted as she uncorked her water container

"Azula is not dead," Hakoda replied firmly, "There could be a ship nearby with more soldiers. We need to all leave _now_."

Katara sighed and then nodded, replacing the cork and instead helped Jet up and supporting his weight. Smellerbee soon rushed to Katara's side to assist in supporting him too.

"Let's go," Hakoda commanded and they all ran back outside where Aang was waiting with Appa, tossing whatever essentials they had onto the Bison.

"I don't know if we all can fit," Aang said, a worried expression on his face.

"Do you think he's strong enough to carry us all?" Hakoda asked.

"Maybe...we might have to fly low," Aang replied and then bit his lower lip, clearly uncertain.

"Well we have to try," Sokka chimed in, "We can't stay here."

Aang nodded in agreement and airbended himself onto Appa's neck. "Everyone get on."

Hakoda instructed the others to climb aboard, watching as Smellerbee and Katara assisted Jet, since he did not have use of his hands. Zuko followed, along with Suki, and Sokka. Haru, Teo, and The Duke followed behind. Iroh and Hakoda were the last to climb aboard.

Once Zuko was on, he huddled by the ledge. He couldn't help but notice that he was still shaking from the battle. His wrists also hurt from the rock cuffs. He was thankful, though, that they were the worst of his physical injuries.

Zuko spared a look at Jet who was currently being held by Smellerbee as Katara began working on the damaged hands. Zuko immediately looked away, an inexplicable feeling of guilt ran through him as he realized those injuries _were_ his fault, even if it was to save Mai.

"Bear east towards the Earth Kingdom," Zuko heard Iroh call to Aang. "Once you're out of sight, head south."

"South?" Aang questioned, as he looked back with an incredulous tone in his voice "Towards the Fire Nation?"

Zuko felt his heart skip a beat. Why were they heading towards the Fire Nation, especially after the battle they had just had?

"Yes," Iroh insisted calmly. "We were heading there anyway, and we might as well all go." Iroh paused, sparing a glance at the people around him. "Besides, I trust the place to be safe, and Azula won't suspect it."

Aang gave a small nod before turning back to Appa. "Yip, yip!"

The enormous weight of everyone on the saddle caused the large bison to moan in annoyance, but he managed to get into the air. With another loud moan, Appa veered east, towards the Earth Kingdom.

oOoOo

Azula clung to the rock, her heart pounding. _That was close, too close._

Azula was certain she could have beaten her doddering old uncle. If only that stupid rock had not destroyed the ledge they were battling on! In that moment when she was stuck in free fall, fear had gripped her and she thought for certain she would die. Then calmness overtook her senses and she managed to propel herself to the side of the gorge and dig a knife into the rock as if it were a pick. Azula hung precariously by that knife until she managed to get a better grip, and then slowly climbed up the hazardous ledge.

It took her a while, but eventually she managed to reach the top of the cliff. As she pulled herself over she felt two hands grip her arms and assist her up. It took her a few moments before she could see it was Mai that had helped her up.

"Well," Azula said as she dusted herself off. "Did you find Zuko?"

"Yes," Mai answered simply.

"And did you kill him," Azula asked in a clipped tone.

"No, I didn't get the chance," Mai replied.

Azula was about to reply when she was interrupted by the bison flying above her head. Azula stared at it, eyes narrowed in anger. She studied the animal closer and saw the ragged figure of her dishonored brother. "Fuck! I gave you one simple task!"

"He had help," Mai's tone of voice was bored and unconcerned.

"So?" Azula thought she was seeing red, she felt almost dizzy from the exhaustion and extreme frustration she felt. Zuko was still alive; after all this time. Who would have thought killing her dimwitted brother would prove to be such a challenge?

"You're highness, you're alright!" A Fire nation soldier exclaimed as he ran over to the two young women. As soon as the soldier was near enough Azula spun around and buried the knife she was holding in the man's chest. The soldier barely had enough time to scream as his mouth filled with blood. Azula followed through with a quick and forceful kick that sent him over the ledge.

"Feel better?" Mai asked. If the display of violence bothered her, she didn't show it.

"A little," Azula replied, pushing her hair away from her eyes.

Mai looked at her hand, inspecting the dirt underneath her fingernails. "Where do we go now?"

Azula took a moment, watching the avatar's bison as it flew further and further east. Once the animal was almost out of sight, she turned back to her childhood friend. "Home."

"Given up?"

"No," Azula answered. "But Sozin's comet is close. I can't spend all my time chasing Zuko- not now. But don't worry, I'll make sure he's dead afterward."

Azula turned back to watch the bison as it disappeared completely from her sight. She never noticed the deep frown on her friend's face.

oOoOo

A/N - So I know I took a long time to update. Unfortunately writer's block struck again. Plus, I wrote out most of my chapter and then realized it was all wrong and rewrote it. Special thanks to Lazyartisan who helped me work a couple things out. :)

I wanted to also point out a piece created by the wonderful artist Drisela, who did a drawing based on this fic. It was actually requested by one of my readers, Arrayepl, and I'm so happy she did. It's really nice to see someone drawing from my story, and I definitely encourage anyone to do so. (And make sure you show me when you do! :D) I also have been working on a piece myself. It's not related to this story, it's just a general fanart of my favorite characters, Zuko and Azula, and it's a work in progress. I only have the lineart up right now. :P I've updated my profile to include links to both these artworks, so please check 'em out! (Unfortunately I can't link directly here. D: )

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Action scenes aren't my forte, but I try! As always, keep your reviews coming! It's great to read what people think and it keeps me motivated. I really do appreciate every review I get.

On another note, I will be at Another Anime Convention and I'm doing two fanfiction panels for fun on Friday! Come see me if you're going to that con. :D


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

oOoOo

_Leaves from the vine, falling so slow.  
Like fragile, tiny shells,  
Drifting in the foam.  
Little soldier boy, come marching home.  
Brave soldier boy, comes marching home._

_-Iroh, The Tales of Ba Sing Se, Season 2, Episode 15_

oOoOo

Zuko didn't really know how long they had been flying when they finally landed on a small island just north of the Fire Nation. The sun had set by now, and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when land was sighted. Zuko's lips were chapped from the cold salty wind, and his back was stiff from his cramped position. He was only too happy to get off the bison and have a little distance between himself and the others.

"Where exactly are we?" Aang asked as he hopped off of Appa.

"It's a safe place," Iroh replied. "This is the island where the Ancient Sun Warrior City is located. The Fire Nation does not have soldiers stationed here, they won't suspect it. In fact, many have forgotten it is even here."

"Where is the city?" Aang wondered as he looked around the beach, "All I see are trees and mountains."

"Deeper into the island, it's in a large valley," Iroh answered with a smile. "Don't worry, I will show you tomorrow. For now we should make camp and rest."

"I agree," Hakoda chimed in as he jumped off of Appa's saddle. Hakoda turned and reached up to grab Zuko's hand and help him down.

Zuko wanted to slap the hand away and insist he could get down himself. However, the shaking in his legs demanded otherwise. Swallowing his pride, Zuko took the hand and pushed himself down and off of the bison with as much care as possible.

"Are you alright?" Hakoda asked.

"M'fine," Zuko muttered turning away. He was still shaken from the events at the temple.

During the ride most everyone was concerned about Jet, whose hands took a while before they would heal. They were still scabbed and bruised; Katara could only do so much to heal them. Once that problem had been worked out, an eerie kind of silence befell the group and Zuko was careful not to make any eye contact with the leader of the Freedom Fighters.

Now they were on solid land again and Zuko felt a strong urge to just run away. At some point an explanation would be wanted and he had no idea how to give it.

Sokka and Suki were next to climb off the bison, followed by the rest of the group. Katara and Jet were the last to get down. Once everyone was off, Aang began removing the equipment and tossing it to everyone below.

"How much stuff were you able to get, Aang?" Teo asked.

"Not much, unfortunately" Aang replied. They were on a strange island with no place to purchase any of the supplies they had lost in their rush to get away from the temple. Every item was a commodity they couldn't afford to lose, and now they had about a third of that. "I did grab as many blankets as possible, though."

"We'll make do," Hakoda said as he sifted through some of the blankets.

"Blankets! Who cares about blankets?" Sokka demanded as he held two mats in his hands. "I'm starving! Did you get any of the food?"

"I got some...not everything," Aang admitted sheepishly. "We definitely need more."

"Well that is easily remedied with some hunting tomorrow," Hakoda answered cheerfully as he began setting up the camp.

Zuko couldn't help but wonder if it was a forced cheerfulness to make everyone forget about the attack earlier. Maybe it would work for the others, but not him. The encounter with Mai had been too much of a shock to his system on top of seeing Azula again after everything that had happened. Zuko spared a glance at Jet and immediately regretted it. Jet was staring back at him, his expression inscrutable. Zuko quickly looked away.

"I don't eat meat," Aang declared in a dismayed voice.

"Don't worry, the island is rich with fruit, you'll be fine," Iroh replied as he gathered up some of the supplies.

Aang responded to that bit of information with a smile and began to assist Hakoda with enthusiasm. Soon everyone else was helping him with the task. They managed to find a nice spot by the edge of the trees that wasn't too sandy to make their camp.

Hakoda put some kindling together and then nodded to Iroh. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all," Iroh replied and with a flick of his wrist the campfire was lit.

Zuko pretended not to notice the quick looks everyone had given him when Iroh used his bending skill. He knew what they were all thinking- he was thinking it too. Hakoda had not asked him; Hakoda couldn't ask _him_.

"At least there is one useful Fire Bender in the group." Jet muttered suddenly.

"Jet!" Katara exclaimed in a disapproving tone, as though no one else had similar thoughts.

"What?" Jet feigned innocence, "It's true! I put up with Iroh because he was helping Aang, but he's just a pathetic firebender who can't even do that! We should have just left him back at the temple...who needs him!"

"Jet." Hakoda's voice was stern. "You will not speak like that about Zuko."

"No," Zuko suddenly interrupted and then turned to Jet. "You want to say something to me? Say it." Zuko was sick of the game they had been playing. He knew Jet fiercely hated him, but he only kept his hatred in check because of the others. Zuko wanted it all out there so he could stop pretending there was any type of cordialness between the two of them.

"Fine," Jet said, moving closer to Zuko. The campfire glowed ominously as everyone stood still, not sure what to expect from this conversation. "You're a waste of space, air, and food. No one needs Fire Nation trash like you!"

"Are you done?" Zuko asked. He had heard it all before. Jets insults were nothing in comparison to what his father would say to him or the months of being tortured and demeaned by the prison guards at the Boiling Rock.

"Not yet," Jet answered and before Zuko could react he felt the impact of Jet's fist on his face. The blow knocked him right to the ground and left him dazed. He could instantly feel his scarred eye swelling.

"Zuko!" Hakoda and Iroh exclaimed, instantly dropping to his side. Everyone else stood simply stood there with shocked expressions on their face.

Zuko pushed them hastily away and stood back up; a small sway in his stance. As soon as he felt his footing was sure he threw his own punch at the Freedom Fighter. He didn't care if he was too weak to do any real damage. He couldn't let that hit go unanswered, not with Jet.

Zuko landed a glancing blow on Jet's cheek, nowhere near as strong as the one he received, but no less satisfying. Jet stumbled backward slightly and recovered quickly to continue the fight, but now Sokka and Haru were holding him back. Hakoda did the same with Zuko, although he let go when he felt Zuko stop resisting.

"Jet! Zuko!" Katara screamed in anger. "There was absolutely no need for that!" She quickly turned to Jet. "Zuko didn't do anything to you!"

"Sure he didn't," Jet snapped back, lifting up his hand which was now bleeding. The impact had reopened the wound Katara had worked so hard on to heal with what limited water she had on Appa.

Katara's eyes widened in shock as they caught sight of the bloody hand, "What are you saying?"

"Zuko didn't do that," Suki said, catching on to Jet's implication. "It was that knife throwing girl."

"She did it, sure," Jet said. "Zuko caused it; after I saved his life, no less."

"You didn't save my life!" Zuko spat, the audacity of Jet's words prompting him to defend himself. "Who do you think killed the earthbender that was about to kill me? It sure as _Agni_ wasn't you!"

"He's not lying," Toph remarked calmly. "Neither of them are, really."

"What does it matter? She's Fire Nation and she was part of the people attacking us!" Jet answered, and then turned to the rest of the group. "He purposely distracted me- _that's_ how she got me!" Jet held up his bloody hand for emphasis. "We don't need someone who would betray us in our group!"

Katara turned to Zuko, a look of disbelief on her face. "Is that true?"

Zuko looked around. Everyone seemed confused and shocked, not sure what to make of the situation. Iroh, however, just looked sorrowful. Zuko closed his eyes before responding with gritted teeth. "Was I supposed to let him kill her? I grew up with her! She was my _friend_!"

"She's not your friend anymore," Haru commented. Everyone turned to look at him when he spoke. Zuko, however, kept his eyes locked firmly on the ground.

"Haru's right," Sokka added. "If she's with Azula hunting you...she's not your friend. For all we know, she could have saved you to kill you herself."

Zuko's fists were clenched tightly as he looked at everyone, their eyes pitying. He did not want their pity! The anger inside of him suddenly spilled out. "What do any of you know?" Zuko's vision blurred as he screamed; the anger and pain were just too much to bear. "I grew up with her! She saved me! I didn't ask to be here! I don't care if I'm part of your pathetic group or not, I was not about to let that idiot kill her! You all mean _nothing_ to me in comparison to her!" By the time Zuko finished his rant, he was breathing heavily. He was barely able to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Zuko," Hakoda began gently, but Zuko didn't let him finished. He stormed off into the forest, not caring what any of them thought. He couldn't take any of them anymore. In that moment he desperately needed to be away from them or he might just go insane.

"Zuko! Zuko!" Hakoda called to him as he left.

Zuko refused to look back and knew he wouldn't have to worry about Hakoda when he heard his uncle's voice urge Hakoda to stay.

Faster and faster he walked until he felt like he might pass out. He was terribly thirsty but he had no water with him. He hoped maybe he would find a stream, but with his terrible luck there was little chance of finding one. Finally he gave up and sank down to the ground.

He had so many thoughts swimming through his head, too many that he couldn't focus. He was angry at Jet, frustrated with himself, confused about what happened with Mai, fearful that she might have actually tried to kill him herself, and utterly exhausted from it all.

What if they were right and Mai was only trying to kill him herself? Zuko thought back to that moment when she killed the earthbender. She was different from the little girl he once knew. She was strong and fierce. He never thought of her as a killer, but the way she attacked Jet and that bender, it was nothing short of cold and calculated.

Zuko knew that the warden had been Mai's uncle. He had often dimly hoped that maybe she would visit him in that prison. Surely she could have gotten access. However, day after day no one came. His only visitor was Azula that one time, to give him the news of the Avatar's defeat.

What if Mai blamed him for her uncle's death? She must know what happened, at least that he died in an escape that Zuko was a part of. Did she want revenge? He had no way of knowing, their interaction had been incredibly brief before Jet came in and ruined the moment.

"Zuko?" A female voice called from behind him.

He turned immediately and saw Katara approach him slowly. "Leave me alone." The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk to someone, not with these thoughts swirling around in his mind.

"You've had time to yourself," Katara said. "Now it's time to talk."

Zuko didn't say anything and just stared at his hands for a long moment before finally speaking. "Where's Hakoda?" Zuko figured if anyone was going to come after him, it would be him. He was surprised to see her, especially after what he had said.

"My father wanted to come," Katara answered as she sat down next to him, "but instead you get me."

Zuko looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Any particular reason?"

"So I can explain," Katara said, "about Jet."

"I don't need an explanation."

"Please, just listen."

Zuko shrugged. He doubt anything Katara said would make any of this better, but he was so drained that he didn't feel like arguing.

"When we met him," Katara began, "He was with a group called the Freedom Fighters, which you have already been told, but what you don't know-" A pause. "-his family was killed by the Fire Nation. It made him bitter and he almost killed an entire village in order to kill a few Fire Nation soldiers. Sokka barely got everyone out in time."

"Lot's of people have been killed by Fire Nation soldiers," Zuko responded. "We're at war."

"I know," Katara replied, picking at a blade of grass on the ground. "I hated him for it, though. He had tricked Aang and me into helping him. I thought he was a good person, and it hurt to find out he wasn't. We didn't see him again until we were in Ba Sing Se. He seemed changed, no, he _was_ changed. When Azula infiltrated the city, he helped us fight. Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot."

Zuko looked at Katara. _Longshot_? That was a name he had never heard before.

"Longshot died. Azula killed him right in front of Jet." Katara said in a low voice, answering Zuko's questioning gaze.

"He hates the Fire Nation," Katara continued, "And I can't blame him. We've all lost something because of the Fire Nation. You don't have to forgive him for what he said, I don't think I could. But please, don't take what he says personally, he was just as bad when Iroh came."

"Do you think I honestly take what he said personally?" Zuko answered. Zuko didn't want to feel sorry for the idiot. He actually liked feeling pure anger towards someone without confusing them with other feelings he wasn't any good at understanding.

This response obviously confused Katara. "Well, I just thought-"

"I've been told worse from other people," Zuko answered. "And I'm not surprised someone hates me so much, especially if my sister killed his friend."

Katara stared at Zuko for a long hard moment before finally speaking. "You're more upset about Mai."

Zuko didn't have a response to that.

"But you are still a little bothered by Jet," She added.

"Jet's an idiot."

"I agree," Katara said, a small smile on her face. "But he's part of the group."

"And I'm not."

"Who said that?" Katara asked, the smile leaving her face.

"No one had to say anything," Zuko answered, looking away. "It's obvious."

"It wasn't obvious to me."

Zuko turned back to look at Katara. Suddenly he felt ashamed of what he had said back at the camp. _I don't care if I'm part of your pathetic group or not, I was not about to let that idiot kill her! You all mean nothing to me in comparison to her! _Katara had healed him, talked to him, help him with his new outfit and all these other little things when he arrived. She tried to be welcoming and he knew it, yet he threw it all back at her without a second thought when he said those words. "I'm sorry." Zuko was surprised at how much he meant it.

"Did you mean it?" Katara asked.

Zuko shook his head in that moment, unable to open his mouth and find the words to respond. This group had taken him in, protected him, and he repaid them by spitting in their faces. Jet was an idiot, but he had his reasons and they were at least understandable. Zuko, on the other hand, felt like he didn't know which way was up and which way was down. His enemies were now his allies, and his childhood friend was now enemy. Everything was a mess and he couldn't see a way to figure any of it out.

"Sometimes I really want to hate Jet for the things he's done," Katara suddenly said after the silence dragged on for too long. "But try as I might, I can't. Sometimes I feel the same way about you. You chased us halfway around the world, you were our enemy. But now? After getting to know you and what you've been through-I can't hate you either."

Zuko didn't know what to say to that so he simply blurted out the first thing that crossed his mind. "I don't want to be compared to that idiot."

"You're both stubborn."

Zuko glared at her, not amused by the quip, but she laughed anyway. "I'm just teasing. You two are very different...really."

"Whatever." Zuko looked back down at his feet and began ripping blades of grass from the ground.

"Anyway, we made a separate camp for tonight," Katara said as she watched Zuko destroy the grass around him. "He still needs time to cool down, so Smellerbee and Haru found a different spot, away from us for the night. Teo and The Duke went with them. So you two will have some space and hopefully not tear each other's heads off."

Zuko ignored that last comment and stopped tearing at the grass. "I guess you want me to go back to the camp."

"Yes," Katara smiled. "You need to eat, and Iroh says he still wants to take you and Aang to that abandoned city in the morning."

Zuko sighed heavily; so that little field trip was still planned. "Fine."

"You don't want to go, do you?" Katara asked. He could tell by her tone that she was referring to the trip tomorrow and not the camp.

"Do I have much of choice?"

"You always have a choice," She answered with a shrug. "But right now we don't have a better idea to help you regain your bending."

"I suppose not." Zuko sighed and stood up.

Katara immediately stood up as well, smiling at the young firebender. "Let's get some food. I'm hungry and I bet you are too.

Zuko nodded and together they walked back to the small camp.

oOoOo

Hakoda felt anxious. He didn't feel comfortable leaving Zuko to himself on a strange island, despite Iroh's assurances that he wouldn't go far and he would be fine. He knew Jet had problems, that much was obvious when they first met during the planning stages of the invasion. But Katara insisted he was trying to work on them, and for the most part he seemed to keep himself in check. He wasn't here when the boy met Iroh, so he had no idea how they came to a tentative truce. Even so, Hakoda knew about Jet's deep seated hatred for the Fire Nation and should have been more aware of any interactions between Jet and Zuko.

Getting through to Zuko was not easy at all. He knew the boy was coming around, but it was a slow process and something like this was the last thing they needed. He had been hesitant to let Katara go, he wanted to talk to Zuko himself but Iroh was right. This was a situation where talking to a peer instead of an adult might work better.

Hakoda was grateful when Haru suggested two separate camps for the night. Hopefully it would relieve some of the tension in the group. Iroh was still going to take Aang and Zuko to the abandoned city tomorrow, so that would give the two boys even more space and hopefully time to cool down.

Hakoda was so lost in his thoughts that he never even ate the small food ration that had been

placed beside him. Momo was now having a field day, gobbling up dried fruits and berries, chattering away happily.

"Not hungry?" Iroh asked as he sat beside him with his own ration of food.

Hakoda shrugged, "There's a lot to think about."

"Indeed," Iroh replied before taking a bite out of some dried meat. "My nephew will be fine. This type of conflict is easy for him, it's simple in a way."

"I know, but I think it's probably the last thing he, or any of us need right now." Hakoda asked as he shooed Momo away with his hand and popped a berry into his mouth. "We're all together in this, and if there's division where we have to split our camps-" Hakoda let out a soft sigh, not finishing his thought. He didn't need to anyway as Iroh nodded his head in understanding.

"Things are going to get harder from now on." Iroh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I can feel it, Sozin's comet. It's not far off now."

"How long do we have?"

"A week."

Hakoda sat there and let the words sink in. A week was all they had before Fire Lord Ozai would make his final attack on this world in attempt to finally conquer it all. "What do you think he will do?"

"It's difficult to say," Iroh answered. "Sometimes I think I understand what my brother will do, and other times…well…_whatever_ my brother does, it will be cold and calculated, aimed at dealing the most damage in a single moment."

"Do you think we're making the right decision, having Aang wait?" Hakoda asked. Once Zuko had been rescued from Chit Sang, tactics had been discussed and that's when Hakoda had been informed that they were not going to try to attack the Fire Lord on or before the comet came. The logic was sound. It didn't make sense to attack a master firebender at his strongest moment, especially when Aang still had so much to learn.

"Tactically, yes," Iroh answered his voice heavy with sorrow in his words. "But for the people that will suffer when the comet comes..."

"So many have suffered already," Hakoda commented. He understood Iroh's qualms. From the standpoint of a general, you don't waste your assets when they have the smallest chance of succeeding. Aang wasn't ready, and no matter what Ozai did on the day of the comet, the objective would still be the same, which was to kill Fire Lord Ozai. It was always better to bide your time and wait for the right moment than go rushing in. However, no matter how logically sound the plan was, they all knew people were going to suffer. They suffered every day. It was just a matter of realizing that if they failed, people would continue to suffer with no hope of it ever ending.

"This war will end," Iroh said softly, "One way or another."

"And let's say this crazy plan works, and your brother is removed from the throne, what then? Will you take his place?" Hakoda couldn't help but ask what had been on his mind for some time now. He had thought, when he first met Zuko, that maybe he could help the boy and the world at the same time. Now, here was a man, the rightful heir to the throne, wise and working for the good of this war-torn world. He was obviously what the Fire Nation needed, and in Hakoda's mind, a better choice. Zuko was too young and too damaged to rule a nation.

"I had hoped I wouldn't have to," Iroh answered honestly. "I thought for a long time if I helped Zuko and shape him into a better person than his father, that when he eventually inherited the throne he would bring peace to the world. Now things are much different. The Avatar is back with a real chance of saving this world, and Zuko." Iroh let out a sigh. "He is a damaged young man, a shell of the proud prince he once was. How could I ask him to help a nation, never mind the world, when right now he can barely help himself?"

"Maybe he just needs time," Hakoda replied thoughtfully. "Time you can give him should you take the throne yourself and make him your heir?"

"That is an option I have been considering."

"But you don't want the throne," Hakoda said, the truth of it was right on the older man's face.

"There was a time when I did," Iroh answered truthfully. "But after my son died, it became the last thing I ever wanted."

Hakoda glanced over at his son who was talking happily with Suki and eating some dried meat. "I can't imagine-"

"And I hope you never have to," Iroh replied as he followed Hakoda's line of sight over to the young Water Tribe boy. "I was so grief stricken that when my brother stole the throne from me, I didn't really mind. It was almost like a relief."

"But now?"

"All I want is what is best for my nephew and the world."

Hakoda smiled softly at those words, unable to hold back his next words. "One would wonder what the world might be like today if Ozai never took the throne from you."

"One would," Iroh whispered, taking a drink from his water, his expression somewhat lost and vacant. "One would," he repeated, letting the words hang heavily in the air.

oOoOo

Zuko smacked a small fly away from his arm. Summer was in full swing and the forest was infested with all sorts of bugs and tiny animals. Zuko had woken up at dawn with Iroh and Aang to visit the abandoned city of the Ancient Sun Warriors, and now he was walking through a muggy forest unsure of where they were going and what lay ahead.

"How far until we get there?" Aang asked as he followed Iroh, cheerfully hopping on tree roots.

"Not much further," Iroh answered. "The city lies in the valley of this small mountain range. Once we clear this mountain, we'll see it."

"Why didn't we just take the bison?" Zuko asked bitterly. They had been walking for almost two hours now and he felt completely exhausted. He had not exerted this much energy since the escape back at the Boiling Rock.

"Walking does the body good," Iroh replied gently.

_You're weak, and Uncle knows it_, Zuko thought bitterly.

"Have you been to this city before?" Aang asked.

"Yes," Iroh answered, "When I was much younger, before Zuko was ever thought of."

_Not that you think of me much now_, Zuko almost said, but held his tongue. He just wanted this trip to be over with. He was skeptical that visiting an old abandoned city could do anything to bring back his firebending.

"Is it really true that you killed the last dragon?" Aang asked as indelicately as only a child could.

Uncle Iroh gave the Avatar a faint smile. "No more questions." He then gestured towards the cliff. "The city is not far, and you will find your answers there."

"Wow," Aang said, his question about dragons forgotten as he looked down on the abandoned city.

Zuko couldn't help but feel awed himself. The city filled out the entire valley below with a huge temple at its center. Vines and foliage dominated many of the old, cracked buildings, which in a way gave it a strange but wild beauty. Zuko did not expect much to be left behind from a city that was said to be abandoned for centuries, but apparently their buildings were strong and well preserved.

"Well, let's continue," Iroh said. "We should be there before noon."

Aang nodded and cheerfully continued down the mountainside. Zuko and Iroh followed behind him.

Iroh had been correct. By the time the sun was high in the sky they had reached the edge of the city. Zuko was amazed by the astounding architecture of the ancient civilization. The Sun Warriors were said to be the first firebenders once the dragons had imparted the knowledge upon them. Zuko couldn't help but wonder what knowledge had been lost when the Sun Warriors disappeared and the dragons were slaughtered mercilessly.

Zuko closed his eyes and felt a sense of calm come over him. Something about the city was familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it. The style of temples looked a lot like the Fire Sage temples, which meant they must have descended from these.

"We must head to the main temple," Iroh declared.

Aang was about to reply when he tripped over a vine and pitched forward, falling into a pit that suddenly appeared as a result. With a large gust of air, Aang propelled himself backward and aware from the pit, his face deathly pale as he looked up at Iroh. "That was close!"

"Be careful," Iroh said, "There are many traps throughout the city. Walk with caution."

"I don't understand," Zuko said as he knelt down and looked at the vine that had set off the trap. "How can there be so many traps if this city was abandoned thousands of years ago?"

"The Sun Warriors were good at protecting their secrets," Iroh answered, which didn't seem like much of an answer at all. "Let's continue."

Aang nodded enthusiastically and fell in step behind Iroh, who lead them down a different street not blocked by a trap. Zuko followed, though he spared a quick glance down the hole. He could barely make out the spikes that protruded from the floor. He thought he saw a skull down there, but couldn't be sure. Zuko shuddered slightly and focused once more on following Aang and his uncle, keeping a more watchful eye on his surroundings and where he stepped.

As they walked, Zuko took in the beauty of the formations. Many statues of dragons and carvings of the ancient people decorated the old streets. He could sense there was a story being told, even though he did not know what it said.

One wall that caught his attention depicted a man surrounded by two dragons, breathing fire that encircled him completely. Zuko pondered the display, wondering what was trying to be communicated. He shivered a little at the thought of being burned alive between two dragons.

They managed to avoid any other traps on the way to the main temple; Iroh pointing them out with incredible accuracy. The temple itself was a large pyramid structure, with steps that got smaller and smaller as it reached the top. Vines wrapped around many parts of the stone structure. It seemed that once the siding was smooth and well kept, but years of neglect left it rough and crumbling.

Two large dragon statues graced the entrance and surrounded a large golden door. A large pillar stood in the middle of the courtyard with a shiny, red stone in what looked to be a celestial calendar.

"Come on," Iroh said. "The first thing I want to show you two lies just inside."

Aang went up to the door and banged on it gently with his staff. "How do we get in? I don't see a handle."

"The door automatically opens every year during the solstice," Iroh explained.

Aang slapped his head with his hand in frustration. "Monkey feathers! The solstice again? We can't here that long!"

"I know," Iroh replied with a gentle smile. "There's another way." Iroh moved closer to the door, feeling around the large cobblestones with his hand. The process took only a few moments as he apparently found what he was looking for and pressed. The stone scraped loudly as it slowly slipped into the wall. The golden door responded in kind and slid open with a heavy groan.

Zuko could only assume he must have discovered the secret trigger when he had come here the first time, and idly wondered how long it had taken him to figure it out. At least they didn't have to wait for a solstice in order to enter.

Zuko stepped inside to the antechamber and was overwhelmed by the staleness of the air. No vines grew inside. Besides the dust, the place seemed almost untouched by time. Many statues stood on a long circular pedestal in various firebending stances.

"The firebending we know now and that of the Ancient Sun Warriors are very different," Iroh said. "Many of the techniques have been lost over time. This is one of them, the Dancing Dragon."

"The Dancing Dragon?" Aang asked, looking at the statues with awe. "Are we going to learn it?"

"Yes," Iroh answered. "Aang, stand right here." Iroh pointed to a spot near the first statue. "Zuko, you stand over here." Iroh pointed to another spot in front of a similar stature. "Follow the moves in time with each other."

Reluctantly, Zuko did as his uncle directed and stood in front of the statue. He looked over at Aang briefly who nodded that he was ready. With a deep breath Zuko imitated the stance, lifting one leg up and raising his left leg. Suddenly he felt the stone beneath his feat sink, but only slightly. Zuko's eyes widened as he saw each step in the routine corresponded with a tile on the ground. Zuko continued on, imitating each statue as he stepped in time with the Avatar. Soon the circular dance was complete as he connected his fist with Aang's. Almost instantly the center of the room began to rumble and a stone pedestal with a large golden egg rose up.

"What's that?" Aang asked.

"A special relic of the Sun Warriors," Iroh answered.

Zuko went over to take a closer look but stopped when Iroh grabbed his arm. "Don't. That's not why we're here and if you touch it, you won't like the consequences."

"Another boobie trap?" Aang asked.

"Yes."

"Then why did we do that routine if it wasn't for the egg?" Zuko asked, a frustrated tone in his voice. He was tired of this cryptic lesson. His uncle wasn't telling them everything and he hated half truths. He wanted to know what their purpose for being here was, and what his uncle was obviously not telling them.

"The routine will be important later," Iroh answered. "For now we must meditate as we wait."

"Wait for what?" Zuko asked angrily.

"_Patience_, nephew; Your answers will soon come."

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh and stepped towards the door. "I'm done with this. It isn't going to help me regain my firebending, and I don't feel like wasting my time meditating!"

"Zuko!" Iroh called, but anything else he might have said was cut short when two large figures appeared at the entrance. Zuko came to a sudden stop as two spears were now pointed dangerously close to his neck.

"Who dares disturb our ancient temple?" One of the men demanded, his voice echoed throughout the chamber. The man had painted eyes and wore a feathery headdress. His clothing was reminiscent of a savage culture, only covering the groin area. The other figure wore no headdress, but instead had a ponytail similar to the one Zuko used to wear when he had been hunting for the Avatar. His face was also painted, but in a different design and wore slightly more clothing.

"We do not wish to disturb your temple," Iroh responded evenly. "I only wished to visit some old friends." He then smiled. "You came sooner than expected."

The larger man with the headdress lowered his spear slightly, his eyes widening as he recognized Zuko's uncle. "It has been a long time, Dragon of the West."

"So it has, Honored Chief" Iroh replied, a smile on his face now. "Would you be so kind as to point those spears somewhere else besides my nephew's neck?"

The Sun Warrior Chief laughed jovially as he lowered his spear. "Of course!" He then nodded to the man beside him. "Ham Gao."

Ham Gao nodded in return and lowered his spear, though his expression was less than friendly.

Zuko tried not to look too relieved. The sudden appearance of blades at his neck brought back unpleasant memories that left him a bit uneasy.

"I must confess," The Chief said as he walked over to Iroh. "I never expected to see you again. What has brought you back to our city?"

"Dire circumstances," Iroh answered. "I would not have disturbed your privacy for anything less."

"Iroh, who are these people?" Aang asked, cutting into the conversation.

"The Ancient Sun Warriors," Iroh replied.

"This doesn't make sense," Aang said. "I thought they had died off years ago!"

"So my ancestors lead everyone to believe," the Chief said, regarding the young airbender curiously. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Aang, I'm the Avatar. It's a pleasure to meet you." Aang offered his hand to the Chief in a gesture of peace.

The Chief simply looked at the proffered hand before looking back up at Iroh. "I believe I see why you have come here."

Aang put his hand behind his head, an embarrassed expression on his face as he let the two older men speak without any more interruptions.

"He's one reason," Iroh said. "My nephew is another."

The Chief turned and regarded Zuko carefully. "Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai."

Zuko's eyes widened. How did this savage person know who he was?

"I do not know how much you are aware of," Iroh said. "But these are desperate times. Aang has learned three of the elements, and must master fire before he can face my brother. I fear there is something blocking his progress that I cannot address. Zuko, on the other hand, must remember how to firebend for he has lost the gift."

"Lost the gift?" Ham Gao said suddenly. "How is such a thing possible?"

The Chief lifted his hand in a gesture to silence Ham Gao. "You seek for them to face the masters."

"I do."

"And what makes you think they deserve that privilege? The Avatar disappeared, allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world and slaughter the dragons? And this boy?" The Chief pointed toward Zuko, "I can see in his eyes he has no fire left, he is weak in body and spirit. I doubt he would survive the encounter!"

Zuko glared angrily at the Chief. He wanted to scream at him that he was not weak, even though he knew the man only spoke the truth. That prison had taken so much from him. What more could he possibly give?

"I have kept your secret for many years," Iroh replied, "And I would not ask this of you if I did not think it was necessary. You must know what is at stake!"

The Chief was silent for a long moment. He looked at Aang, who was standing by Iroh with a sheepish look on his face. At least he had enough sense to stay quiet as the Chief argued with Uncle Iroh.

The Chief then looked at Zuko, who found it difficult to meet the man's eyes. He felt his gaze, and it was almost as if he was not looking at him, but through him to his soul.

"I will grant you this request," The Chief said suddenly, "Though I think it a foolish one."

"I thank you, Honored Chief," Iroh said and bowed slightly.

"Is there anything else that you will ask of me?" The Chief asked as he inclined his head in response to Iroh's bow.

"Yes, in fact there is." Iroh answered, "We traveled with others, and are in need of a safe haven while the Avatar trains in secret."

"Our people are not very welcoming to outsiders," The Chief replied with stern note in his voice. "You know this."

"I do. As I said before, I would not ask this of you if the need was not dire. We will keep to ourselves, you have my word."

Ham Gao cried indignantly, "We are a private people! For thousands of years we have not allowed an outsider to join our tribe!"

"And maybe that's why our numbers continue to dwindle," The Chief stated thoughtfully. "I will grant your request if these boys face judgment and pass."

"They will pass," Iroh insisted, "I have faith in them."

Zuko looked at his uncle and saw nothing but determination. He had no idea what type of Judgement this chief and his uncle intended for him to face, but from they had said, it sounded dangerous. His uncle had faith, sure, but Zuko wasn't sure if he had faith in himself.

_You have to regain your bending_, Zuko thought to himself, _No matter how hard it is, you have to get it back!_

Firm in his resolve, Zuko followed his Uncle and the Chief outside of the temple. He didn't know where they were leading him and Aang, but he knew deep down that he would regain his firebending or die trying.

oOoOo

A/N: So finally a showdown between Zuko and Jet. You knew it was coming! I really had a lot of fun writing it.

I'm actually really excited about the next chapter, hopefully I won't keep you all waiting too long. :) As you can tell, I'm not following the Firebending Masters script completely and their encounters with the masters will be different from what happens in that episode. I'm not going to just rehash what happened in the last few episodes of the series now that Zuko's with them. There might be some similar plot points, but as you can see, so many things are different that ultimately affect the outcome. We're also going to find out more and more about what happened at Ba Sing Se, since it's not just a repeat of what happened in the show sans Iroh and Zuko, and there's going to be my interpretations of some of the events that shaped the characters, which I don't think were explored to their full potential in the show. With all I have planned in my head, this thing could probably reach 30 chapters. o.o;;

Anyway, on a completely different topic, I have to be honest. I never really liked the name of this fic. I suck at naming things so I just use that phrase in the first chapter by Azula because I couldn't think of anything else. In fact, when I think about it now, it sounds almost pretentious, like my fic is the best alternate to season 2 + 3 (When actually there are many fics that have explored going down different avenues much better than I have.) I want to rename it, but then again I have no idea to what and at this point maybe it's too late. I don't know. I would like your feedback on this, if you would all be so kind. Do you think I should rename it, and if so, what would you name it?

As always thanks to RueBroadway for beta reading and to everyone who has been kind enough to review and favorite this story. I always appreciate it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

oOoOo**  
**

_"I Understand." -Zuko, The Firebending Masters, Season 3, Episode 13_

_oOoOo_

Zuko walked as steadily as he could with the small flame cradled in his hands. The terrain was rough and maintaining a constant, steady flame required more effort than he ever remembered having to exert. He was surprised he was even able to hold on to the flame that the chief had given to him.

Aang was up ahead of him, but not too far. Zuko could see that the effort of keeping a steady flame was taxing the avatar as well.

Zuko continued up the mountain with a feeling of trepidation. He honestly had no idea what was going to happen when his Uncle suggested they come here. He thought at most they would find some ancient texts or something with some hints to why he lost his bending. Instead the Ancient Sun Warriors were actually still around and now he was going to face firebending masters that he knew absolutely nothing about.

The words of the chief were still very present in his mind.

_"You will take this eternal flame, first bestowed to us by the Dragons and kept alive for thousands of years. They will examine you by looking into you hearts, your soul, you ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they will teach you. If not," A pause that seemed to last a little too long. "They will destroy you."_

Aang had given a small yelp of fear at the statement, and yet Zuko simply gazed at the chief without flinching. _What good is a firebender that can't bend anyway? Might as well be killed on the spot._

_No_, Zuko thought,_ I will do this. _So much had been taken from him, his mother, his honor, his freedom-couldn't he have this one thing?

"Zuko?" Aang called over to him. "Are you alright, you're going really slow."

"I'm okay," Zuko forced himself not to sound as tired as he really was. The result of months with less than minimal physical activity were taking their toll. Hiking up and down mountains was just too much for his small frame, but he pushed on anyway. He had to, otherwise he would never gain his strength back.

"We're almost to the top!" Aang declared with excitement.

_Finally!_ Zuko thought to himself. His vision had started to blur and fade around the edges a little, plus he was concerned determination alone would not help him hike the rough mountainside.

Sure enough, Aangs declaration proved true when rough terrain gave way to level ground. Zuko was almost shocked to see a large group of sun warriors he had thoughtthey'd left in the valley below, including the Chief and his uncle. They must have traveled up another way, one that was easier and faster. Zuko scowled slightly, and wished they had been allowed that route.

The chief nodded to two boys and then pointed to a huge stairway that lead to a platform between two opposing caves. "There, the masters await you."

Zuko said nothing but headed in the direction of the stairs. Aang hesitated slightly before sprinting to catch up with him.

"Do you think the masters will find us worthy?" Aang whispered loudly, a note of anxiety on his voice.

"I don't know," Zuko answered in annoyance. He had no idea who these masters were or what they were heading into. He only knew that this was currently the only viable way for him to regain what he had lost.

The two boys ascended the steps, slowly and with purpose. As they neared the top he could hear drumbeats from down below. Zuko spared a quick glance and could see that the gathered tribesmen were now bending fire into ring while others beat steadily on large drums.

"Why are they doing that?" Aang asked.

"Why do you think I would know?" Zuko spat back. He was getting irritated now. He knew just as much as the Avatar about what was happening, yet the kid insisted on asking questions.

Aang seemed to finally get the hint and remained quiet as they reached the top. Zuko looked around, feeling his heart beat rapidly with anticipation.

The drumbeats stopped and were replaced with the sound of a large horn, causing both caves to rumble ominously. Large chunks of rock fell off from ancient walls, some piling on onto the platform, others crashing into the terrain below. Zuko peered closely into the cave's opening, only to be started at the pair of large golden eyes returning his stare. Aang's back lean heavily against his and the sudden gasp told him he must see the same thing in the other cavern.

The caverns rumbling became louder and stronger without further prompt from the horns, but this time not from the large horn. Without warning, the eyes plunged from each cavern opening revealing two enormous dragons, one red, the other blue.

Zuko felt paralyzed with fear and awe as he watched the two dragons swirl around them. Aang seemed to have the same reaction, as his only movement was to lean more heavily into Zuko.

"Impossible," Zuko's eyes widened as the realization that the dragons still existed in the world. The dragons were the first firebenders, who else could possible help him regain his bending? _Uncle. _All this time the world believed the dragons were extinct; killed by the very man who brought him here. Obviously he hadn't killed them off, instead lying to protect them as well as the Sun Warriors.

"What are they doing?" Aang asked. Zuko could feel him shaking slightly.

"I don't know," Zuko answered, wishing he had a better answer. Why didn't his uncle prepare them? Why didn't he tell them what to do when they faced the masters? "Wait," Zuko said suddenly as he began to understand. "The Dancing Dragon. Uncle said it would be important at some point."

"Should we do it now?" Aang's voice seemed unsure, but willing to try.

"Got a better idea?"

"No," Aang replied, and then a firmness entered his voice. "Let's try it."

Zuko nodded and stepped away from the Avatar. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to redo a technique he had only practiced once. However, as soon as he entered the first stance the rest seemed to all flow freely as if he had known this dance all his life. With each move, Zuko felt the dragon move along with him.

There was a strange synergy as the four of them shifted through each stance. The red matched Zuko move for move, while the blue did the same with Aang. When they entered into the last move and his fist connected with Aang's, an overwhelming sense of peace began to course through his veins. He felt no fear, even as the dragon's opened their mouth and exhaled a colorful flame. Greens, yellows, oranges, reds, blues all swirled around them, overpowering his senses until it became too much and the world turned black.

oOoOo

Suki never enjoyed skinning an animal, but her stomach's desire for fresh meat overcame that minor discomfort. Sokka had gone hunting and caught a few conies to cook tonight. Suki wondered, as she sheered the fur and skin from the small animal, if Zuko, Aang, and Iroh would be back before nightfall. Zuko could certainly use more meat in his diet.

Somehow, in the midst of everything, Suki realized she no longer hated Zuko. Now she found herself concerned for the scarred prince and looking out for his wellbeing. When Jet punched him, Suki was about attack the jerk herself. Luckily she didn't have to. She was almost proud when Zuko fought back. He had seemed so lackluster after what Chit Sang had done and she desperately wanted to know what happened after she was kicked off the ship with Hakoda, but Zuko wasn't talking. Certainly whatever caused his lack of firebending must have happened during that time.

"Suki?"

Suki looked up at Sokka who was sitting across from her skinning his own coney. "Yes?"

"You have that look," Sokka said, "Like you're not here."

"I'm here," Suki answered, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

"Your mind's not." He looked away from her, once again focusing on his catch. Sokka's voice sounded strange with an emotion she couldn't place.

"I'm just worried."

"About Zuko?" Sokka asked, still not looking at her.

Suki sighed, "Yes."

"I don't know why you worry about him." Sokka was beginning to sound like petulant child, which was honestly getting on her nerves.

"Sokka," Suki said, donning a authoritative voice. "I care about him, after everything we went together with the escape and all. However," She then put aside the half skinned coney and leaned over to give Sokka a gentle peck on the cheek. "I like you."

Sokka's cheeks suddenly went bright red. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's okay," Suko said, leaning back into her previous sitting position. "You're just insecure."

"I am not insecure!" Sokka declared, his voice cracking slightly from the strain.

Suki couldn't help but laugh at Sokka's indignation. "It's okay, I think all men are insecure." Only her iron-clad warrior will prevented her from patting him on the head, less he take _more_ offense to the admittedly patronizing gesture.

Sokka practically sputtered all over himself, "What? I'll have you know-"

"Hey guys?"

Sokka looked over towards tough, his pride forgotten for the moment as they both regarded Toph.

"Did you feel that?" She asked, her brow furrowed in question.

"No," Suki answered, wondering what she had felt that seemed to concern her. "What did you feel?"

"I don't know," Toph answered as she sat down next to them. "A weird vibration, but I'm not sure what it is."

"Do you know where it's coming from?" Sokka asked

Before Toph could answer, Suki gasped in surprise. Something was glowing in the distance on one of the mountains. It seemed barely noticeable at first, but it grew brighter and appeared to be tinged with colors. "What is that?" Suki said, pointing towards the strange light.

Sokka turned while Toph remained in her seated position, staring out the ground.

"What?" Toph's tone seemed irritated. She was always acutely aware when people were using visual cues, even if she couldn't tell what they were.

"Sorry! There's a light, in the distance. It's really strange," Suki answered, at loss for describing something that she wouldn't really be able to understand.

"Is it that way?" Toph asked, pointing directly at the mountain with the light.

Suki's eyes widened at her accuracy, "Yes...is that where the strange vibration came from?"

"Yes."

"I wonder if it's Aang and Zuko," Sokka said thoughtfully, the light fading away as his words were spoken.

"I wonder too," Suki said, her concern for Zuko increasing from the strange event. Whatever it was, they were too far away from it to investigate, especially now that it was gone.

oOoOo

Zuko was aware of being awake before he finally opened his eyes. A light breeze swept lazily across his face, hinting that he was outside. He fully expected to wake and see mountain bedrock and the valley below. Instead Zuko only saw a field stretching into the horizon. There was no sign of the dragons, the Sun Warriors, or the mountain they had climbed only moments ago.

"Where are we?"

"I think we might be in the Spirit World," Aang got to his feet, a little shaky. Zuko had not noticed Aang next to him until just now. He also hadn't been aware he had voiced his question out loud.

"Are you certain?" Zuko asked, a feeling of dread creeping into his veins. What if the masters had judged them unworthy and now they were dead?

"One way to find out," Aang said cheerfully, a little too cheerfully as far as Zuko was concerned. Aang leaped up from the ground and performed a basic airbending move. Nothing happened.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Aang scratched his head thoughtfully. "I can't bend in the Spirit World."

Zuko looked at Aang before once again scanning the area for any sign of life. "Hello?" Zuko called out to the wind. "Anybody?"

"There is no need to shout," a voice said from behind. Aang and Zuko whirled around to see two tall figures standing before them. They looked to be bout six feet tall and were completely naked. One figure was female with unnaturally long red hair and matching red scales that gave the illusion of clothing. The other figure, a male, had similarly unnatural hair, only this one was blue with blue scales to match. Their movement was fluid and somewhat unnatural. Their expressions were kind, however, there was also something feral hidden behind their facade.

"Are you-" Zuko began but they two figures cut him off.

"I am Ran," the red one answered.

"And I am Shao" the blue one added.

Then together the spoke as one, "We are the masters."

"Wow," Aang was wide eyed and utterly fascinated. "You guys are the dragons?"

"Yes," They answered in unison.

"You have come before us," Ran began.

"To be judged worthy," Shao finished.

"Are we worthy?" There was a note worry and a bit of excited eagerness of Aang's voice, in a way only Aang could accomplish.

"That has yet to be seen." Shao answered, while Ran only nodded.

"How is it that you can take human form?" Zuko ventured to ask.

The two masters shifted their eyes to Zuko before speaking once more.

"We use the Dancing Dragon as a catalyst," Ran started once more before allowing Shao to finish her sentance.

"To bring us all to the Spirit World."

"Once in the Spirit World,"

"We can take whichever form we like."

"By taking human form,"

"We can communicate with you more easily."

The back and forth between the two masters was a little dizzying. Despite looking very different from each other, they acted and spoke as one. It was almost as if they were two halves of the same coin. "Is it through communicating with us that you will judge us worthy?"

"In part," Ran answered.

"What is the other part?" Aang asked.

"In order to judge you worthy," Shao began this time.

"We must see inside your soul."

"Such an endeavor will be painful,"

"As we must look into your past,"

"To understand your future."

"And only this journey,"

"May be accomplished in the Spirit World."

Both Aang and Zuko looked at each other. Zuko noticed that Aang looked apprehensive, and he had to assume he looked exactly the same. However, this was what they came here for, to face the masters and learn the secrets of firebending. They had come so far, there was no point in stopping now.

"What do we have to do?" Zuko asked as he looked back at the two masters standing before him.

"Take our hands," Ran reached out to Zuko as Shao reached out to Aang.

"And the journey will begin." Shao grabbed onto Aang's hand.

At first nothing happened, but then slowly Zuko noticed everything around them was turning to gray. Soon everything went black and it almost seemed as if they were all floating in the middle of nothing. The feeling was a bit disconcerting, his instincts screaming at him to let go of Ran's hand, when suddenly that blackness disappeared and they were standing in a large room. There were a lot of flowers on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Towards the center stood two monks in front of another monk under a parasol. Zuko immediately recognized the clothing as it resembled Aang's. These were airbenders.

The monk on the left started to speak, completely unaware of the intruders no watching him. "Aang needs to have freedom and fun. He needs to grow up as a normal boy."

The monk standing next to him made a disapproving huff. "You cannot keep protecting him from his destiny."

The third monk, who was sitting underneath the parasol, spoke. "Gyatso, I know you mean well, but you are letting your affection for the boy cloud your judgment."

"All I want is what is best for him," replied the man addressed as Gyatso.

"But what we need is what's best for the world." The monk glared at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Gyatso. "You and Aang must be separated. The Avatar will be sent away to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training."

Zuko watched the scene with confusion. Who were these people and why were they talking about Aang? Weren't all the airbenders besides him dead?

It was then that Zuko noticed a small gasp above him. He looked up to see Aang in the foliage above. He was looking at the three monks, apparently unaware of the intruders as well, which included Aang himself. Zuko blinked in surprise and then looked back down at Aang who was staring at the monks with beads of tears welling in his eyes. In that moment the scene froze and the masters began to speak.

"You did not wish to lose your mentor,"

"So instead you ran away."

"It was stupid." Aang's voice lacked its normal cheer. "I left them and because of that they all died."

In that moment, Zuko realized they were inside one of Aang's memory, one from a hundred years ago.

"They would have died,"

"Whether you were there or not."

The scene then shifted and they were still at the Souther Air Temple, but it was devoid of any life. The buildings were overgrown with plants. Time had chipped away at the place, leaving it old and rusty. They are in a grotto, covered with skeletons from a battle fought long ago. Zuko recognized the design of the rotting armor, they were firebenders. In the center laid the remains of one who was not a firebenders, but a monk wearing a similar necklace that Zuko has seen just moments ago.

"All roads led to this," said Ran, her expression deeply saddened.

"No!" Aang cried. "If I had stayed I could have done something!"

"You were not ready." Shao simply replied.

"How do you know?" Aang demanded angrily.

"Out of all possible paths," Ran began.

"The one you took was the best." Shao finished.

"How?"

"Dead," Ran replied.

"Hunted," Shao added.

"Captured."

"These possibilities awaited you if you stayed."

"But I am hunted!" Aang cried. "_Everyday_!"

Zuko couldn't help but flinch as he recalled how much hunting he had done himself.

Shao took a step forward as he answered. "Not to the extent that you would have been,"

"Had you stayed." Ran then reached out and put her hand over Aang's hard. "It was the best of all possible roads to leave."

"Stay secret, stay safe."

"Your unexpected return afforded you opportunities,"

"Opportunities you would have lacked had you stayed."

"How can you be so sure?" Aang sniffled slightly as he wiped away unshed tears.

"We see what was, what is, and what could be." Shao answered.

"You see the future?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

"The future is not written," Ran said and once again the scenery changed. They now stood in a forest on a path that diverged in two seperate ways.

"But like many journeys, there are different paths." Shao added.

"The only one that matters,"

"Is the one you choose."

"Are you saying that we _choose_ our destinies?" Zuko asked, anger building up inside him. He didn't choose any of the things that had happened to him. He had fought so hard to change his destiny but it never seemed to matter. How could they tell him he had a choice?

"Yes and no," Ran replied. She frowned as if sensing his anger.

"You are not the only one with choices," Shao said, and suddenly another path appeared that intersected with one of the splits. "Others have choices too."

"Destiny is a constant battle between your own choices,"

"The choices of others,"

"And the will of nature,"

"We can see all possible choices,"

"And nothing more."

"So you see the possible paths people can take, but you don't know which one they will take?" Zuko asked, trying to figure all this out with their confusing way of speaking back and forth.

Ran looked at Zuko and then gently tapped her lips in thought. "Sometimes we can discern the choice they might make, but not always."

"What does this have to do with judging us worthy?" Aang suddenly asked.

"Determining the choices you will likely make is part of the process," Ran answered.

"And to do that we must explore your past." Shao said.

Aang sighed deeply before responding. "Why must it be things like you just showed me?"

"Because the things you do in the hardest of times,"

"Are the most revealing about who you are."

Zuko took all this in and realized that this trip into Aang's memory would soon include a trip into his. What memory would they look it? Was he prepared to do go through what Aang just went through? To Zuko the memory seemed rather mild, especially in comparison to some of his own, but clearly it affected Aang deeply. Zuko remembered that the masters said it would be painful, and now he understood why.

Aang seemed to also be having similar thoughts as Zuko. There eyes met briefly before he turned once more to Ran and Shao.

"I came here to learn firebending," Aang said sternly. "If this is what I have to do, then I'll do it."

Ran and Shao both nodded before turning to Zuko. He felt completely horrified at the idea of exploring his past, especially with these two dragons and Aang as a witness. However, he had to be strong and he had to face his fears. He wanted to regain his firebending, and he was committed to getting it back.

"Me too," Zuko finally said, his voice trembling slightly.

The dragons nodded once more before the scenery changed again. This time it was a memory of Zuko's. He immediately recognized his old room, which it's rich decorations, vibrant Fire Nation tapestries, and a large king sized bed, way too big for a boy of his age.

Suddenly the door swung open and light pooled into the room. Zuko's heart skipped a beat as he realized it was his sister. It was a much younger Azula, but it was his sadistic sister nonetheless. Azula leaned against the door as the young Zuko slowly woke up due to the news.

_"_Dad's going to kill you. Really." Azula leered at him, with a creepy glint her eyes. "He is."

"Ha-ha Azula. Nice try." Zuko tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Fine, don't believe me, but I heard everything. Grandfather said dad's punishment should fit his crime." Azula replied and then attempted to imitate their grandfather. _"You must know the pain of losing a first born son, by sacrificing your own!"_

"Liar!" Zuko declared.

Azula walked over and sat on his bed. "I'm only telling you for your own good. I know, maybe you could find a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you."

"Stop it, you're lying." Zuko clung to his blanket. "Dad would never do that to me."

"Your father would never do what to you?" A female voice asked. Zuko gasped in pain as he immediately recognized the voice pf his mother from the past. He even felt his whole body shake as his mother entered the room. "What is going on here?"

"I don't know." Azula replied, acting completely innocent.

Ursa's eyes furrowed with disbelief. "It's time for a talk."

Zuko watched as his mother and younger sister left the room, leaving the younger version of himself clinging to his blanket, repeated the mantra he had told himself many times over.

"Azula always lies. Azula always lies."

Only this time she didn't, and deep down he had always known the truth.

The scene froze, and silence surrounded them. He could feel the looks of Aang and the two dragons. As much as he had tried to mentally prepare for this, it was a shock to his system. This was one of his most painful memories and now it stung as if it were new.

"She was telling the truth, wasn't she?" Zuko finally asked.

"You don't need us to tell you that," Ran answered.

Zuko nodded, and a single tear fell from his undamaged eye.

"If it is too painful, we can stop," Shao offered.

"No." Zuko knew he had to be strong, to face the horrible memories in his past if he was ever going to get over them. He was sick of being weak, sick of being the victim. Zuko looked up, resolve planted firmly on his face. "Continue"

Scenes swirled all around them. Sometimes it was from Aang's past, other times Zuko's. Each new memory dug up unpleasant feelings, but Zuko refused to back down.

_"__Jeong Jeong tried to tell me that I wasn't ready. I wouldn't listen. I'm never going to firebend again."_

_"P__lease, father, I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"_

_"No Aang! By choosing attachment, you have locked the chakra! If you leave now you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!"_

_"You are an embarrassment, unworthy of being a citizen of the Fire Nation, never mind my son and heir to throne! You will never regain your honor and you will not be permitted to continue your treasonous failures! You will spend the rest of your life locked up where you cannot embarrass me anymore! Get out of my sight!"_

_"And I hate the invasion plan, too! I don't want you or anyone else risking your lives to fix my mistakes. I've always known that I would have to face the Fire Lord, but now, I know I need to do it alone."_

_"Ha, guess the little bitch can't breath underwater. But we should make sure, shouldn't we?"_  
_  
"W__e lost today but we've never been this close. We tasted victory and that counts for something."__  
_  
_"What the fuck do you think you are doing? You think you can fucking _escape_ this? You aren't going anywhere until I get my money!"_

Suddenly, the images stopped, and once again they were in a vast field of the spirit world._  
_  
Zuko felt as if he couldn't breathe. All his failures, all his pain and torture, were being displayed right there before him. His humiliation of being banished, only to return in chains. The torture he faced at the hands of his prison gaurds and then the moment he finally gave up and tried to end it all. It was all right there, and he was unable to ignore it,

"Fire is anger, danger, and pain." Ran turned to Zuko, her arm reaching out and gently touching his scarred cheek. "But it is also life."

"Without the Sun, this world could not exist." Shao turned to Aang, resting a hand on his head. Both the dragons maintained the contact as they continued to speak.

"The Sun gives us light and warmth."

"It feeds our plants and governs our days."

"Fire cooks our food, and allows us to mold and build things."

"All these things are positive, there is always a yin and yang."

"You two have seen Fire's destructive nature but refuse to acknowledge that Fire is also life."

"Zuko" Ran's eyes bore into his. "anger fueled your fire for so long."

"And when you gave up your will to live," Shao continued, also looking pointedly at Zuko, "you lost not only that anger."

"But the life inside you that is your fire."

"That is why you cannot bend."

Zuko nodded silently, recognizing what he already knew deep inside but had refused to acknowledge.

"Aang," Shao's eyes were now focused on the young airbender, "you hurt Katara."

"You grew too afraid of the destruction, and refused to see its magnificent light."

"That is why you struggle to bend."

Zuko absorbed all the words of the dragons, reeling from the almost obvious answer to why he and Aang had struggled with their bending. Then again, maybe it wasn't so obvious. Not once in his firebending lessons was the element promoted as a life giver. It was such a shift in idealogy that he could understand how such a simple answer was so elusive.

Zuko took a deep breath. "I want to live again."

Ran smiled, gently patting his cheek. "You will."

"And I don't want to be afraid anymore." Aang's voice was barely above a whisper, though everyone heard him clearly.

Shao nodded. "You won't."

"Have we been judged worthy?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

"You have," Ran answered as she pulled her hand away. "You now understand the truth about Firebending. Fire gives us life, and with it you both can bring peace to this world."

"You said you can sometimes see what paths we choose." Aang looked over to Ran then back at Shao before asking his question. "Did you see what destinies we will choose?"

Shao nodded. "Yes."

"But the road is hard."

"And it is not a certainty"

"Other destinies will clash with yours."

"And fight for realization."

Aand nodded slowly, carefully considering his next words. "So I still have to try as hard as I can to defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the world."

"Yes," Shao answered once again.

"And you cannot do it without Prince Zuko," Ran added.

Zuko's eyes widened as everyone looked at him. "I don't understand. How am I supposed to help Aang?"

Ran smiled gently. "You will know,"

"When the time comes."

Zuko's fists clenched as he felt anger rise in his throat. That was not an answer at all.

"Our time here is done." Ran began walking back, away from the two benders.

Shao followed her a moment later. "We have taught you what we can, the rest is up to you."

"Wait!" Zuko jumped forward to try to grab one of them. He had more questions to ask, they couldn't leave now! But it was too late, Zuko's hand grasped nothing, and as they faded, so did the fields and mountains around them.

Suddenly the atmospher became more familiar and he found himself back in the real world on the mountain's cliff. The two dragons were facing both Aang and Zuko, and before they could even react, the two of them swirled around the cliff once more before flying back into their caves.

Zuko stood there stunned. The experience had been confusing, painful, and yet strangely enlightening. He understood why he lost his bending, and he now knew what he had to embrace in order to get it back.

Zuko looked over his shoulder to see Aang standing there, looking equally stunned. "Aang, are you okay?"

Aang nodded quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Maybe we should go back down the mountain," Zuko suggested, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah, maybe we should."

Slowly the two of them descended the steps to where the Sun Warriors and Zuko's uncle waited. It seemed to take forever for them to get down the massive steps but once they were there, everyone gathered around them in awe.

The chief moved closely, and nodded sternly at the two. "Ran and Shao have judged you worthy."

Zuko nodded faintly and then looked over to his uncle. He was standing back slightly, looking concerned but trying not to show it. At that moment, Zuko felt something inside him snap. The lesson of the masters became even more clear to him. He knew that he had to accept the past; he had to let go and move forward to regain everything he had lost, and that included his uncle. He knew his uncle loved him, and he knew he needed him. Maybe it was the right thing for his uncle to leave him in the prison, he would never know. Ultimately, it just didn't matter anymore; he wanted his uncle back.

Without a word Zuko moved forward and stood in front of his uncle, head down, tears streaming down his face. "Uncle...I'm sorry."

Zuko could almost feel the surprise as Iroh hitched his breath. "Nephew!" Without any warning, he was pulled forward and large arms wrapped around him, comforting him. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes I do," Zuko insisted. "I was angry at you when I shouldn't have been. I know now you were just trying to do what's best. I should have understood that!"

"Shh." Iroh hugged his nephew tighter. "It's in the past. I was never angry with you and I never stopped loving you. My only wish is that you can forgive me, I never wanted you to suffer as you did."

Zuko closed his eyes, an overwhelming feeling of joy almost preventing him from speaking. When he did, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I forgive you."

oOoOo

**A/N** - I apologize for the long wait. Anime Boston ate up a lot of my free time. I'm surprised that it took over 4 months for a new chapter. Unfortunately, life gets in the way.

I know a lot of people have asked when Zuko will start to recover fully, when will he forgive Iroh? Well here's your answer. I had always been intrigued by the dragons in the Firebending Masters episode so I had fun exploring them a little more. I had this great vision of how they interacted in my head, I feel the translation into the story is probably not the best, but hopefully you can get a feel for their vibe. I think they're pretty neat, I hope you do too. :)

I also feel that with this chapter I have completed the second story arc. The first was the prison and escape. The second arc was the Chit Sang betrayal and recovery. Now the third arc begins which will ultimately lead to the end of this fic. Don't know how long it will take me to get there, but I am committed. I did sign up for the Big Bang over on the LJ, so my writing will be split for a little while, but hopefully it won't impact my ability to regularly update this one.

I also linked to some sketches in my profile. Been trying to get back into that drawing thing lately.

As always, thank you RueBroadway for the beta read and thanks to everyone for your continued support and reviews. :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

(A/N - No Beta reader for this chapter.)**  
**

oOoOo

_ "Sokka, there's no prison in the World that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses." _

_-Hakoda, The Boiling Rock, Part 2, Season 32, Episode 15_

oOoOo

For the first time in a long time, Zuko felt he could look to tomorrow with hope. The dragons had helped him not only regain his firebending, but a sense of perspective on his life that he never had before. He still knew there were hard times ahead with his father still in power and his sister trying to kill him. However, he understood now that he had control over his own life and he could make a difference, he just had to try. Giving up would leave him no better off than he was in that prison cell.

In fact, he was starting to feel more welcomed within the group. He had reconciled with his Uncle, he was training with Aang, and now that they were living with the Sun Warriors he didn't have to interact with Jet as often.

However, despite all these positive aspects, there was a nervous feeling in the air. Everyone was on edge with the coming of Sozin's comet. No one really knew what Zuko's father would do, and everyone was unsure if their chosen path was the best one.

Zuko pushed these thoughts away as he continued his training session with Aang and his Uncle. Ever since he joined Aang in training, he felt his body getting stronger. He wasn't as strong as he was when he was sent to prison, but it had taken months for his body to be destroyed, he knew it would take almost just as long to regain his former stature.

In fact, he was able to keep up with Aang, and they were both sweating profusely from the heat and exertion.

"I think that will do for today," Iroh said after they went through a couple more stances. "Dinner should be ready soon. Go wash up."

Aang clasped his hands together and bowed his respectfully to Iroh before scampering off.

Zuko chose to linger behind. "Are you sure we should quit? I feel better than ever, I can practice a few more moves."

Iroh smiled gently. "I'm sure you can, but I don't want to push you too hard."

That made Zuko frown. "I'm fine! I feel stronger than I have in days!"

Iroh placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I know. The comet comes tomorrow and I can already feel it coming, increasing our strength, which is all the more reason for you to be cautious. You're still very weak from prison, and the power of the comet may make you unaware of the toll it will take on your body."

"Isn't that good?" It was typical of his uncle to hold him back just as he felt ready to push forward. "If I can push past the limits of my body I can get stronger faster!"

"Or you could gravely injure yourself, and I find the latter to be more likely." Iroh removed his hand and gestured toward the Sun Warrior Village. "Instead, we should have a relaxing cup of tea while we wait for dinner. It's just as important to rest when you're recovering you're strength."

Zuko sighed, grudgingly admitting his uncle was right. "Alright, but let me go wash up first."

"Be quick, I'm making Jasmine tea." Iroh's voice had that sound of childish excitement he always had when talking about tea. Zuko couldn't help but smile at that, he had missed his uncle's obsession with tea.

The stream was not far. He saw some of the villager's woman doing some laundry as their children played in the suds with Aang, who clearly must have been distracted on his mission to wash up.

Zuko found a spot next to the stream that was away from the group. He preferred to wash quickly and then get back to his uncle. He knelt down and splashed some water on his face. Large clumps of wet hair fell into his eyes and he brushed them aside. He his fingers through his hair, marveling at how long it had gotten since his topknot was sliced off. Long enough to get into his eyes, but not long enough to tie back.

Zuko was tempted to cut all off; he almost missed the simplicity of shaving everyday. He looked down at his reflection, marveling at how different he looked with a mop of wild hair instead of a neatly shaven head with a tight topknot. He didn't look like the son of a Fire Lord. No, he looked like an Earth Kingdom commoner with his dirty face and green clothing. There was something appealing about that. He liked not looking the way his father would demand, it seemed rebellious, and it was even slightly freeing.

No, he would not cut it off, nor would he try to tie it back. He had changed immensely on the inside, it was only fitting that he changed on the outside too.

Zuko splashed away the reflection as he continued washing up. It was a nice summer day, and the water was refreshingly cool. Once he felt suitably clean, Zuko stood up and looked around. Aang was still playing with the children, though their mothers were gathering up the laundry, ready to leave and begin preparing for supper.

He liked it here in the village. The Sun Warriors lived a simple life, honest and free of Fire Nation rule. He almost couldn't believe that no one knew about the people here, but then again the Fire Nation had been fighting a war for a hundred years. It's easy to miss something right in front of you when you're determined to look elsewhere.

When Zuko got back to the village, Iroh was already pouring some tea for Katara and Hakoda. Zuko sat down next to them and Iroh poured another cup for him. Zuko took it gratefully.

One thing he had missed in prison was his uncle's tea. He had always thought it was a silly obsession when they traveled in search of the avatar together, but now Zuko recognized it for what it really was. It was a passion that took his uncle out of the harshness of life and into the simple pleasures.

Zuko knew only too well that there weren't enough of those.

"The day is upon us," Iroh said after everyone had taken a few sips of their tea.

"I feared as much," Hakoda said.

What will we do tomorrow?" Katara asked.

Everyone was silent before Iroh finally responded. "Nothing, I hope."

oOoOo

Nothing indeed was what they were doing. Well everyone else seemed too anxious to do anything really productive, but Zuko figured he should at least get some training done. He had never felt so strong in months. He had asked his uncle to continue their training today, but he refused, saying he was too distracted to focus.

Zuko resorted to asking Aang if he wanted to go through some moves together, which was not something he was usually keen on doing. Aang was often too hyper in their training sessions and it was distracting.

"I'd rather not," Aang replied sullenly. "I can't stop thinking about the comet, about whatever your father might be doing to crush any rebellion...sorry."

Zuko shrugged and walked away. Truth be told, Zuko desperately didn't want to think about what may or may not be happening. They all knew this day was coming, they all decided it was better to do nothing. Why did he have to suffer their anxiety over their decision?

So Zuko had to train alone by the river, while everyone else moped about back at the village.

He was halfway through his routine when he felt the explosion. Zuko looked up and saw smoke rising from the trees. Moments later, a war balloon came into view.

Zuko's heart sank. His father had found them.

Without a moment's thought, Zuko began running back to the village. He was terrified of going, of facing whoever might be there, either his sister or his father himself, but he had to. He wasn't going to be useless like he was back at the temple. He was going to fight and protect his friends. They were all he had left.

Many of the villagers ran screaming from the attack, with mothers carrying babies and son's helping their elderly. Another explosion rocked the village, and the screams of terror grew louder.

Zuko had to stop, the area was filling with smoke, causing his eyes to sting and he couldn't help but cough. He wanted to go further, to find his friends, but he knew he would pass out if he breathed in anymore smoke.

Zuko ran back to the river, hoping he could then travel around the village, away from the direction of the smoke and find everyone that way. He didn't let himself think of the possibility that they might already be dead.

"Zuko!"

Zuko turned at the sound of his name and saw the last person he expected to see. It was Jet.

"Where are the others?" Jet asked, clearly able to ignore differences for the sake of an emergency.

"I don't know, I just tried to get to them but the smoke is too thick that way!" Zuko explained.

Jet nodded, "This way!"

Zuko followed without another word as Jet went the way Zuko had already thought of taking. Sure enough it worked, as they were able to avoid the smoke and reach the village upwind of the explosion.

"Shh, stay behind me," Jet said as he began to approach the center of the village with caution. The war balloon had landed and there were Fire Nation soldiers everywhere.

Zuko resented Jet taking the lead, but knew this was not the time to argue as he sunk behind the Freedom Fighter, remaining as quiet as possible.

Slowly they sneaked through the village, avoiding the soldiers wherever possible.

At one point a group of three soldiers found them, and there was no ducking away, they were cornered. Zuko felt his body panicking. He wasn't sure if he could handle three soldiers, but then he remembered Jet was with him. They may hate each other but they both had a common enemy before them.

Jet unsheathed his two hooked swords and jumped into an attack. Zuko ignored him and focused on the newfound strength that the comet gave him and tossed a fire blast of his own at the other two soldiers.

The two blocked easily, but Zuko let his training kick in and he went through move after move, swiping and slashing with blades of fire. Eventually Jet finished off the solider he was dealing with and joined Zuko in taking care of the last too.

"Not bad," Jet said, as the two soldiers ran off, clearly valuing their life over honor.

"The training's been paying off," Zuko replied.

Jet said nothing at that and instead looking around at his surroundings. "Come on, this way," Jet said as he continued on deeper into the embattled village.

Eventually they made it to the center of the village, and that's when he saw her. Azula was standing in front of the large war balloon, that unsettling smirk on her face, as she regarded Aang who was unconscious by her feet.

"Bring him on board, and make sure he is bound well!" Azula barked at the nearest soldier.

Zuko looked around and saw that Aang wasn't the only one who had been captured. He could see Katara and his Uncle restrained on the sidelines, and he was pretty sure he saw Haru knocked out on the ground. He couldn't really tell if he was alive or dead.

"Search the entire village," Azula ordered once Aang was taken on board, followed by his uncle and Katara. "I want my brother found!"

One of the soldiers picked up Aang, while the other guards forced a struggling Katara and wounded Iroh on to the air ship.

"What do we do?" Zuko whispered to Jet, wondering if he had any genius plan to rescue them.

"I don't know. There's too many of them." Well, that answered that.

"Zuko is that you?"

Zuko turned around and saw one of the Sun Warriors crouched behind them. Zuko couldn't remember this man, but he seemed vaguely familiar. "Um, yes."

"Shh!" Jet called back to both of them.

"Good," The man said before he sent a fire ball at both of them.

Zuko didn't have time to even figure out what was going on as he jumped back to avoid the attack, right out into open.

"Zuko, how good of you to join us." Azula said, as she regarded the sudden appearance of her brother as a perfectly expected event.

Zuko immediately recovered from the attack, and took a guarded stance against the Sun Warrior who also emerged into view. Jet had somehow managed to stay hidden; Zuko had no idea where he was.

"You betrayed us," Zuko said to the man, ignoring his sister for the moment.

"That's really none of your concern," The man said before he turned to the princess and bowed deeply. "I have brought you your brother, as promised."

"So you have," Azula replied. "I'll see to it you are rewarded appropriately."

The Sun Warrior bowed deeply.

Zuko ignored the treacherous warrior and turned to focus on his sister, his arms still held up defensively. He felt his heart beating rapidly as he faced her. "Hello, Azula."

"Zuko, come now. Is that any way to treat your sister?" Azula slowly approached Zuko, and for every step forward, he took one back. "You're surrounded. Surely, you should realize how helpless you are."

Zuko looked around and saw Fire Nation soldiers, all ready to take him down should Azula say the word. However, Zuko knew she wouldn't. She wanted to kill him herself, he was certain of it.

"All this," Zuko said as he nodded to the large plume of smoke in the distance. "Just for me?"

"Pathetic as you are, you are still of royal blood. I guess _some_ gesture of respect must be shown," Azula replied as she continued to walk over to him, though Zuko had stopped walking back.

"I'm touched, really," Zuko said as he watched her feet get closer. Slowly he lowered his arms as a sign of surrender, though internally he focused on his chi and that immense power he was feeling from Sozin's comet as it hung in the sky.

"A prince should go out with a bang, should he not? Even a weak one like you deserves a little notice." Azula raised her arms; he could sense the energy as she prepared a killing blow.

Zuko waited, he had to time it just right. When he felt she was about to release her killing blast, he lifted his arm and fired back.

Red and blue fire clashed against each other in an enormous fireball. Zuko wasted no time, using the blast as cover he ducked behind one of the buildings.

Zuko immediately noticed Jet, who had managed to stay hidden and must have seen the whole thing play out before him. His eyes were wide as he watched the enormous fireball dissipate. Zuko ran over and grabbed the boy by the arm.

"Come on, we have to go, now!" Zuko yelled as he dragged the boy away from the building and back into the forest.

Zuko's first thought when he saw the war balloon was to rescue his friends, but now he knew they were horribly outnumbered and he had to escape. Azula had come well prepared, what with that traitor telling her everything she needed to know about their situation.

Of course she would wait until the comet before deciding to come and destroy the village in search of her brother. How could they have been such fools to trust the Sun Warriors?

Zuko looked back and watched as another blast rocked the small village. No, it wasn't the Sun Warrior's fault. They would never have done something to destroy their village like this. Whoever that man was the betrayed them, he couldn't have been a true Sun Warrior, at least not at heart.

Zuko kept running, even when he reached the village's end and all that remained before them was the forest. It wasn't until he felt a tugging on his arm that he stopped.

"Zuko, wait, stop!"

"No, we have to keep going!" Zuko yelled back.

"No, wait!" Jet then yanked hard on Zuko's arm, causing him to fall back. He barely managed to keep himself from falling flat on his back. "We've run far enough, we've got to stop."

"How do you know? She has soldiers everywhere!" Zuko replied, realizing how panicked his voice sounded.

"Zuko, we can't abandon the others!"

Zuko put his hand to his forehead, trying to calm his thoughts. "There is no way we can get to Katara, Aang, and my uncle, but I didn't see the others, they might not have been captured."

"Good, then the best thing we can do right now is try to find them," Jet said as he caught his breath but maintained a steady composure.

"You're right, you're right." Zuko took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves as best he could. His encounter with Azula had unnerved him, and for moment he had thought he was going to die. To still be standing was shocking on its own, now he had to think of plan.

"The question is," Jet said as he looked around, "how do we find them?"

Zuko looked up at the sky as smoke continued to rise from the village, blotting out Sozin's comet from view. The village was devastated, Sun Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers were scattered everywhere, and he had no clue where the others had been when the attack first started. Zuko sighed in desperation as he tried to figure out what to do next when a thought occurred to him.

"The dragons!" Zuko yelled, turning back to Jet. "We need to go to the dragons!"

"What?"

"They can help us!" Zuko cried as he ran off towards the mountain caves where the last dragons, Ran and Shao lived in secret. He didn't even bother to look back to see if Jet was following him.

Zuko focused his mind on reaching the two dragons. He knew they could see destinies, maybe they could tell him what to do, how to save Katara, Aang, and his uncle while finding the others. He refused to think about the encounter with his sister, how he had panicked and ran instead of staying and facing her. He thought he had regained his mental strength, but clearly there was some issues he still needed to work out and his sister was one of them.

So Zuko ran, despite feeling like his lungs might burst from the exhaustion. He looked back once to see Jet was following him wordlessly. Apparently he must have figured it was better sticking together than splitting up. Zuko silently admonished himself as he realized he should have thought of that and not run off without making sure Jet was with him. Even if he didn't like the guy, they were allies. Well, at least when it came to his sister.

Once they reached the steps leading up to the caves, Zuko stopped for a quick breather. Jet stopped beside him and then punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't run off like that again!"

"Sorry," Zuko muttered as he rubbed his shoulder. "The dragons are up these stairs. We need to tell them about what is happening and get their help."

"Wait, don't you think they already know what is happening? I thought Aang said they saw the future."

"They do...kind of," Zuko replied, realizing how concerning it was that the dragons weren't responding to the attack on the village. "Maybe they're asleep?"

"Asleep?" Jet looked at Zuko incredulously. "They're sleeping through this?"

"I don't know!" Zuko exclaimed. "Look, maybe they have a good reason for letting this village be destroyed, but at the very least they can probably help us find the others!"

Jet raised an eyebrow at Zuko. "You better be right."

"Do you have a better idea?" Zuko asked.

Jet sighed and gestured to the stairs. "Lead the way."

Zuko nod and began running up the stairs. He could hear Jet muttering behind him but he didn't know what was said. It didn't matter anyway; Zuko's mind was focused on getting the dragon's help.

Once they reached the top, Zuko looked to one cave and then to the other. It didn't really which matter which dragon he approached, so he arbitrarily went right. Jet followed.

"You should go left and get the other dragon," Zuko said.

"Pfft, I'm not going into one of these caves alone," Jet replied.

"Whatever." Zuko continued walking towards the cave. When they were inside, Zuko brought up a flame in his hand so they could see better in the dark.

Zuko expected to see the face of a large dragon staring back at him as soon as he had enough light to see by, instead what he found was Hakoda, Sokka, Suki and Toph.

"Hakoda? Is that really you?" Zuko couldn't believe it; he had come here looking for the dragons to ask them to help find the people who were now standing before him.

"Zuko? Are you alright?" Hakoda asked.

"Yeah, but what are you guys doing here?"

"We came looking for the dragons, but they're not here!" Sokka exclaimed. Zuko wasn't surprised Sokka had the same idea as him, Aang had told everyone about the dragons' abilities to see into the future, he must have also figured they might know the best course of action to take if they weren't at least going to fight to defend the village. He was genuinely surprised that the dragons seemed to have just left, with no trace to be found.

"We've looked everywhere," Toph added as she stepped forward. "I can't feel them in the mountain or anything."

"They're really gone?" Zuko couldn't believe it. The dragons had been living in this village, protected by the Sun Warriors, and now in their hour of need they had vanished. Zuko's surprise quickly turned to anger. "What are we supposed to do now? Azula's men are everywhere!"

"I guess dragons are as much of a let down as people are," Jet said, not seeming too put out that the dragons were gone.

"I thought-" Zuko couldn't finish his sentence as he looked back outside the cave at the smoke that served as a morbid beacon for what was once a peaceful and simple village. Once again, Azula had taken something beautiful and left it to burn.

"Zuko, have you seen my daughter?" Hakoda asked hopefully.

"Yes, but-" Zuko hesitated, not wanting to say what he had to say. "Azula has her. She captured Aang and Uncle Iroh too. Th-there was nothing I could do, I'm so sorry!"

Hakoda held Zuko by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Zuko, it's okay. I'm glad you got away safely."

Zuko nodded, though he still felt like he had failed them. He had faced Azula and instead of fighting her, he had run. Despite all the progress he had made, he was still no match for her and he knew it.

"So what do we do now?" Sokka asked, his voice low.

Everyone was silent as the realized the weight that question carried. Zuko was at a loss for words. Their plan to do nothing during the arrival of Sozin's comet met with a disastrous end. Now their friends were captured, and the Sun Warrior village was in ruins. Zuko didn't think it could get any worse.

Hakoda wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around at everyone before resting his eyes on Zuko. "What do you think, Zuko, time to plan another prison escape?"

Zuko's face fell. Apparently it could get worse. Much worse.

oOoOo

A/N - Well, I never intended for this update to take so long. Unfortunately, things have been a bit tough for me. I admit, at first it was just a bit lack of creative inspiration that slowed down the process. I wrote Merlin fics to try and just work on something different and not burn myself out. However, what started as a bit of artistic burn out has changed into other issues. Basically, since the start of the new year I have been sick and I don't yet know what's going on. I'm not going to go into detail, except to say that I don't think what's wrong with me is life threatening, but it's severely impacting my day to day life. I am in a lot of pain on a daily basis, among other things, and it just makes me not want to write so much when I get home work. And just because things weren't bad enough, my main laptop won't start up. :( Luckily I always keep my fics on google docs to avoid ever losing my fics to computer failures and I do have a netbook I can use at home in the meantime.

Despite needing a break from writing this story and then the health concerns I currently have, I still want to finish this story. I had actually written this chapter months ago, unfortunately after a couple attempts, my Beta Reader never got back to me (considering I've been inactive for so long, I don't blame her) and then I was distracted by other things and forgot to post this chapter. I'm kind of happy I held on to it, because I was thinking of updating with just an Author's note with why things aren't being updated, but at the same time I hated the idea of making a new chapter just to tell you there isn't a new chapter. So now you get both. (Of course it figures when I decide to update the fic there's an error with updating, but obviously I managed to get it to work. :D)

So here's where I am at. Anime Boston is once again around the corner, and I need to focus on that right now. I also really need to take care of myself and figure out what's wrong with me with the help of my doctor and I'm hoping by that time I do know what's going on. Don't expect another update before AB, which is April 22-24th or for a couple weeks right after since the con takes a lot out of me. After that, however, I plan to get back into fandom and writing, because I really do miss it. Ever since I finished my small multi-chaptered Merlin fic, I haven't been very active online and I miss it. I'm even thinking of re-watching Avatar to kick start my writing again. We're in the home stretch, as this chapter is introducing the final plot arc I was planning to write anyway.

As I have said before, I promise I won't let this fic sit as WIP. This is my first lengthy fic and I'm determined to finish it. Just please bear with me as I deal with these personal life things.

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic and continue to read despite the length between updates. I really do appreciate it.


	19. Author's Note

**Authors Note:**I apologize to those expecting a new chapter, but this is in fact a note to let you know I will not be updating. I will leave my account up, but it is dead. There will be no more chapters or stories. This decision comes from the fact that I have a chronic illness and can no longer write, for various reasons that are personal.

I hope you all understand, and I want to give permission to any fans who continue the story on their own if they wish. 


	20. Author's Note 2, the planned ending

A couple of people have asked for some final words on how I'd finish the story, so I thought that's a request I can fill. I'm still very ill, still lack any motivation for writing, but here was my plan.

the remaining group would infiltrate the fire nation much like the gaang did in season 3, but with the purpose of finding information. I was planning to play of the conflict with Zuko and Jet, eventually resolving it so Jet stopped being an ass. They would also learn that as they decided to wait, most of the earth kingdom lay in devestation as Ozai still went through with the plan in s3 on the eclipse.

the fire nation celebrated by anouncing their capture of the avatar and executing iroh for treason. (i know, i'm mean.)

devestated that he has lost the only family who ever cared for him, zuko vows revenge, and at one point tries to attack azula when he sees her, but Hakoda keeps him from doing anything stupid.

aang is kept drugged and tied up so he cannot escape, and in his hazy dreams he talks to his past lives and figures out the secret to removing bending.

plan in place (i never worked it out) they eventually rescue all but aang, kept in a special location. the only choice is an all out attack. in this final battle, aang is freed and faces the firelord with zuko and his friends at his side, but azula quickly joins the fight. much like the finaly, it was gonna be aang against ozai and zuko against azula, however at the end of the battle, ozai lies defenseless, azula dead. (i'm not afraid of killing off characters i love, obviously...)

shaken from killing his sister, hakoda gives him the support and strength he needed saying, "as long as she lived, you would never be safe"

everyone knows the long journey to rebuilding is ahead, but in the end zuko claims the throne and aang restores balance.

if anyone wants to play around with this and post it, you can contact me at eilonnwy at gmail dot com. i will post another authors note update with a link for your benefit if someone does want to take it up, and they don't have to do it exactly as i planned. 


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